Is 'Arthur the King' a True Story? All About Michael and Arthur's Real Life Story
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Arthur the King hit theaters on March 15, and it's safe to say we're obsessed with the heartwarming story and man and dog. The new blockbuster film stars Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance, and of course Arthur the dog, portrayed by a dog named Ukai.
Arthur the King tells the inspiring true story of a stray dog befriending a team of adventure racers during a competition in Ecuador (Dominican Republic in the movie). The movie is based on real events documented by Swedish racer Mikael Lindnord (Michael Light) in his 2016 memoir, Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find Home.
Though the movie changes up a few details, like Mikael's name and nationality and the setting for the race, much of the plot follows the true storyline closely. Mikael and his team traveled to Ecuador in 2014 to compete in the Adventure Racing World Championship. This particular endurance race consisted of biking, hiking, and kayaking through more than 400 miles of the Amazon Rainforest over the course of 10 days.
During the race, Lindnord befriended a local stray dog, sharing a meatball with him. Lindnord named the dog Arthur after King Arthur of Camelot. Despite his injuries, sustained before meeting Mikael, Arthur follows them for the remainder of the race, even swimming alongside them during the kayaking portion.
Arthur's Journey to a New Life
After the race concluded, Lindnord takes Arthur to the vet in Ecuador and begins a Twitter campaign to raise money for the stray. Arthur quickly became famous on the platform, and Mikael raised enough money to adopt him and bring him back home to Sweden.
Due to the social media attention, shortly after Arthur made it to Sweden, an Ecuadorian man named Vicente Quiõnex claimed that Arthur was actually his dog named Barbuncho. He asked for compensation for the loss of his pet, but was quickly silenced by animal rights activists.
Arthur settled into his new life in Sweden with Mikael, his wife, and their two children, joining Mikael on plenty more adventures. Sadly, in 2020 Mikael announced that Arthur died after being diagnosed with cancer. Arthur spent the last years of his life in Sweden with Mikael. Today, Mikael continues to be an advocate for stray dogs in Ecuador and has written several other books about his beloved companion.
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