Mark Wahlberg stars in “Arthur the King”, a film in which he plays Michael Light, an athlete who dreams of winning the World Championship of Adventure Racing and in his feat meets Arthur, a stray dog who becomes his faithful companion: he the true story it was inspired by and the adaptations he made to it.
The movie “Arthur: A Friendship Without Limits” is based on a true story
The true events from which the film is inspired are those of Mikael Lindnord, a Swedish athlete, and Arthur, an Ecuadorian mongrel dog.
In 2014, Lindnord traveled to Ecuador to compete in the Huairasinchi World Adventure Championship. During the race, the athlete’s team came across a stray dog that was in bad shape and they decided to offer some water and food. With this gesture they won the loyalty and companionship of the dog, who began to follow them, overcoming all kinds of obstacles and distances. Eventually, the athletes decided to adopt him and name him Arthur after the famous king.
During the trip, Mikael also took pictures with Arthur to share with his family and, unexpectedly, the couple began to gain popularity on social networks. By the end of the competition, ‘lomito’ was already a celebrity of sorts on digital platforms.
Although Lindnord’s team did not win the competition, at the end of the competition, he could not leave Arthur behind. With the help of a social media campaign, she raised money to take him with her to Sweden and give him a home.
The popularity of his story led the Swedish athlete to publish the book “Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home” and in 2017, ESPN released the short documentary “Arthur” which tells his story.
What happened to the real dog in ‘Arthur: A Friendship Without Limits’?
The dog easily adapted to Mikael Lindnord’s family life and, as documented on social networks, accompanied him on many other adventures.
Sadly, the real Arthur passed away in 2020 as a result of cancer, as his companion said in an Instagram post.
In addition, Mikael Lindnord founded charities in the name of his faithful companion, supporting animal welfare and the rehabilitation of stray animals around the world.
Changes made by “Arthur: A Friendship Without Limits” to Mikael Lindnord’s story
The truth is that the movie does not faithfully portray the real story. One of the key changes has to do with its protagonist. As already mentioned, Mikael Lindnord is the name of the athlete who adopted Arthur. In the film, Mark Wahlberg’s character is named Michael Light and he is American.
Furthermore, it is implied that his motivations for winning the contest had to do with social pressure rather than a genuine desire to be crowned champion.
The film also changed the location of the events: it takes place in the Dominican Republic instead of Ecuador, but, as reported in various media, this was in response to the COVID-19 protocols.
Aside from that, Mikael Lindnord told “MovieWeb” that he was present during most of the filming of “Arthur” to make sure the other details of the story were correct.
Release date and where to watch ‘Arthur: A Friendship Without Limits’
The film opens in theaters in Mexico on April 4. Currently, it can only be seen in theaters, there is no information on its streaming distribution.
Are you excited to see “Arthur: A Friendship Without Limits”? Did you know the real story of the movie?
Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
