I had the pleasure of speaking with Mikael Lindnord yesterday via Zoom. The story almost brought me to tears and gave me chills. One of my favorite parts of the call was hearing about how Arthur loved the snow in Northern Sweden. Mikael mentioned how much he loved the snow, you would have had no idea he was originally from Ecuador.
Arthur’s Story:
Mikael wrote a book about his experience with Arthur called Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home. For those who are unaware of the story: Arthur was an Ecuadorian street dog who attached himself to a Swedish adventure racing team when they were competing in the Adventure Racing World Championship.
The team was led by Mikael, who formed a bond with Arthur after offering him a meatball. Arthur then followed the team for the rest of the race. The reason Mikael chose the name Arthur after King Arthur was due to his royal appearance. Arthur required veterinary care for injuries he had been experiencing for several months. After a 120-day quarantine, Arthur went to live with Mikael and his family.
A charity was formed called “Arthur Foundation” that helped pass a law in Equdior that helps protect dogs and other animals. Mikael also went on to write two best-seller books about Arthur called: Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home and Arthur and Friends.
Arthur, unfortunately, passed away in December of 2020 but he leaves behind a legacy.
Arthur The King:
Lionsgate is releasing a movie about Arthur’s story that will be in theaters on May 22nd, 2023.
Directed by: Simon Cellan Jones
Screenplay by: Michael Brandt
Based upon: The book Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord
Produced by: Tucker Tooley, Mark Canton, Courtney Solomon, Tessa Tooley, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ali Suliman, with Bear Grylls as Himself, and Paul Guilfoyle
Synopsis: Over the course of ten days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur. Based on an incredible true story, ARTHUR THE KING follows Light, desperate for one last chance to win, as he convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes(Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman) for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. As the team is pushed to their outer limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty and friendship truly mean.