With the real-life Arthur the dog living until December 2020, a full six years had passed since the race that brought him and Mikael Lindnord (the real-life racer) together. Mikael Lindnord has not adopted another dog since Arthur's passing, and Arthur's death occurred only weeks before filming on Arthur the King commenced.
Mark Wahlberg tore his knee on the first day of filming and channelled the pain into his performance.
Arthur lived with Mikael Lindnord's family in Sweden for around six years; the film was based on their story. Sadly, Arthur the dog died in December 2020 after being diagnosed with a malignant tumour.
Although filmed & set in the Dominican Republic, the real-life events actually took place in Ecuador.
Ukai portrays Arthur in the film "Arthur the King". The shaggy dog is a cross of three breeds: an Australian Shepherd, a Border Collie and a Bouvier des Flandres.
The film was adapted from the 2016 non-fiction book Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home.
When they're in the jungle and come across a snake, it is described as a poisonous snake. Snakes, however, are venomous rather than poisonous. 'If you bite it and you die it's poison, but if it bites you and you die, that's venom,'
The Arthur Foundation was set up to help dogs worldwide receive better care. This included backing Ecuador’s LOBA (Organic Law of Animal Welfare — Ley Orgánica de Bienestar Animal), which came into effect in April 2018.
The film Arthur the King ends with Michael and Arthur running together in the Colorado mountains, presented as taking place 18 months after the race finished. In reality, by that time Mikael and Arthur had already taken part in another race — they ran in the Wings For Life World Run in Kalmar, Sweden, in May 2015, just six months after their first race together.
Mikael Lindnord is a former Swedish army ranger, specialised in Arctic warfare. The sport of Adventure Racing captured Mikael's interest when he realised, from his experience as an Arctic Ranger, that "my talent is to never give up".
Mark Wahlberg's role as Michael Light is inspired by the real-life Mikael Lindnord. Unlike Wahlberg and the fictional character, Lindnord was born and brought up in Sweden.
The Swedish podcast "Tack För Kaffet" sought to interview Arthur at the Gothenburg Book Fair in 2016.
Arthur, the dog on which the story is based, is originally from Ecuador. No explanation has been given as to why the dog's country of origin was altered for the film.
Baltasar Kormákur had initially agreed to direct the film, but withdrew during pre-production because of scheduling clashes.
