Mark Wahlberg Reveals His Grueling Training for ‘Arthur the King’

The Big Picture

• Arthur the King
  is based on a true story of an endurance race where a racer forms a bond with a stray dog.
• Mark Wahlberg spent time with the real-life character behind his role to develop his character authentically.
• The film is on VOD starting today.

You can soon take home one of the most incredible stories about the connection between man and his best friend as Arthur the King races its way onto VOD today with a Blu-ray, DVD, and digital release to follow on May 28. To celebrate the upcoming tale of perseverance, love, and determination, Collider has an exclusive clip from Lionsgate that features producers including Tucker Tooley, Mark Cantonand Dorothy Cantonspeaking about the work that Mark Wahlberg (The Family Plan) and the rest of the cast put in to make this one-of-a-kind story come to life. Joining Wahlberg in what proved to not only be a taxing job performance-wise but also one that required plenty of strength and physicality, are Simu Liu (Barbie), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones), Juliet Rylance (Perry Mason), Rob Collins (The Wrong Girl), Ali Suliman (Paradise Now), and Paul Guilfoyle (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation).

Admitting that there are a lot of dog-centered movies out there already saturating the marketTooley says that what sets this one apart is that it’s “more a movie about a transformation” for both the leading man and the canine. Wahlberg, who also joined Arthur the King as a producer, said that he spent plenty of time with the man behind his character—Mikael Lindnord—as the pair kayaked, cycled, and did other physical activities together in what Wahlberg refers to as a time-consuming process of character building. Known for his intense physical regime, there’s something that all three producers plus Wahlberg’s co-star, Rylance, can agree on—the actor was made for this role.

What Is ‘Arthur the King’ About?

Based on the true story penned by Lindnord titled Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home, the Lionsgate flick is about a team of marathon adventurers who take on the physically depleting and demanding 435-mile race through the Dominican Republic. It’s Michael Light’s (Wahlberg) first race in years after a poor decision forced him to take a seat from events, and he’s prepared to fully throw himself back into the excitement of climbing, cycling, kayaking, and running through varying terrains with a group of friends who all have his back. Along the way, Michael meets a stray dog who he names Arthur, and his transformation really begins as the pup tags along, proving himself to be just as tough as the two-legged competitors with whom he travels.

Check out our exclusive clip behind the making of Arthur the King in the player above and catch the film on VOD today before adding it to your physical collection on May 28.