As soon as the first trailer for upcoming dog-led horror movie Good Boy hit the internet, film fans could not get enough of it and its fluffy star, Indy. So much so, the movie moved from a limited release to a wider theatrical release, which director Ben Leonberg says is "great" to see, but he always had faith in the project.
"It's been great. I mean, it was certainly an odyssey to get it made... It was just me, my wife, and my dog making this film for years. So we certainly thought it was a good idea," says the director. "And it's been really awesome to see people react to it and be so excited to see it and be invested in the story."
Starring Leonberg and producer Kari Fischer's real-life pet, Good Boy follows a loyal dog as he moves to a rural haunted house with his owner, only to discover that supernatural forces inside want to cause his human harm. Good Boy premiered at SXSW Film Festival in March with Indy winning the festival's Howl of Fame Award, and it sits at an impressive 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes. But the real win is how much the internet has fallen in love with the beautiful Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.
Leonberg is under no illusion as to who the real star of the show is, as Indy has been recognised in public before the film has even had a chance to hit screens. "We went out to get coffee, and someone asked, 'Hey, is that that famous dog?' So people definitely know who he is," says Leonberg. "They don't know who my wife and I are, so we know who the real famous one is."
Dogs have been a part of horror movies for a long while now, but never has one been the true star of a film. So, where did the idea come from? "You know, just taking that trope from horror movies of 'the dog who knows better', or who, just, 'isn't that weird, the dog won't go into the basement of the creepy old house', and telling an entire story based around that," explains Leonberg.
However, Leonberg didn't originally plan on making his dog Indy the star. "I'd been working on the script for several years by the time I had gotten him as a puppy… I just started making these little test shoots with Indy, because he was around." The shorts then led to Indy being nominated for an award which "forced" Leonberg, says the director. We for one are so glad that Indy is the star of Good Boy, we couldn't imagine any other canine taking the job!
Good Boy hits theaters on October 3 in the US and on October 10 in the UK. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies, or keep up with upcoming horror movies heading your way.
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