Lionsgate has released the first trailer and poster for its upcoming adventure movie, Arthur the King. While you'd be forgiven for thinking the title is referring to a medieval fantasy epic, this story instead promises to deliver a very different kind of hero story.
Directed by Simon Cellan Jones (The Family Plan) from a screenplay by Michael Brandt (Wanted), it's based on the book Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord.
"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," reads the plot synopsis.
"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," it continues. "As the team is pushed to their outer limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty and friendship truly mean."
Arthur the King boasts a terrific cast which includes Mark Wahlberg (Transformers: The Last Knight), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Juliet Rylance (Perry Mason), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones), Ali Suliman (200 Meters), and Paul Guilfoyle (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation).
Bear Grylls, meanwhile, will appear as himself.
Wahlberg was first cast in the project in July 2019, with the rest of the cast joining the following year. There were some delays thanks to the pandemic, but shooting eventually started in 2021 and the movie is now heading our way next year.
Arthur the King's producers include Tucker Tooley, Mark Canton, Courtney Solomon, Tessa Tooley, Mark Wahlberg, and Stephen Levinson.
The movie arrives in theaters on March 22, 2024.