What Happens to Arthur the Dog After the Events of ‘Arthur the King’?

Arthur the King is based on an extraordinary true tale. It features Mark Wahlberg as Michael Smith, an adventure racer in the Dominican Republic.

The plot takes a surprising twist when Michael gives a stray dog meatballs, and the dog then loyally follows his team over various landscapes for many miles. The events in the film are based on the actual experiences of a real-life dog named Arthur.

While the film ends with Arthur and Mikael’s story at a certain point, it doesn’t deal with the rest of their post-race lives. At the end of the film, we see Arthur the dog happily settled in Colorado with Mikael’s family following his journey to the U.S.

Beyond this, the film doesn’t tell us more about their life. The credits feature some real-life images of Arthur and Mikael. If you’ve been wondering what happened to beloved Arthur after the events of Arthur the King, read on!

1. What happened to Arthur the dog in real life?

In real life, Arthur the dog shifted to Sweden to live with Mikael Lindnord and his family after their meeting at the Adventure Racing World Championship. The film Arthur the King accurately portrays the same.

Mikael helped Arthur get his necessary treatment, after which he shifted to live with Mikael’s family. In the film, Mikael is an American living in Colorado, though he originally lived in Sweden. The film is set in 2018, while Arthur originally met Mikael in 2014.

Arthur’s transfer could only take place after getting the approval from the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Arthur got another surgery in 2015 but participated in many outdoor activities with Mikael’s family.

2. Did Arthur the dog continue racing?

Arthur the dog did not stop racing in real life. After the original race, he participated with Mikael in the Wings for Life World Run event in Kalmar, Sweden in May 2015. It was six months after the duo was taken off their first case together.

In Arthur the King, we last see Mikael and Arthur racing together in the mountains of Colorado almost 18 months after the main race. In reality, the two had already taken part in another race by then.

Mikael and his dog Arthur participated in the 18-kilometer Wings For Life World Run to support the charity’s goal of curing spinal cord injuries and paraplegia. Their involvement in the event inspired the creation of the Arthur Foundation in 2017, aimed at improving the welfare of dogs globally.

Among its initiatives, the foundation backed the LOBA law in Ecuador, a significant animal welfare legislation that was enacted in April 2018.

3. When did Arthur the dog die?

Arthur the dog died in December 2020 after suffering from cancer. He lived with Mikael’s family in Sweden for six years. He was around 11 to 13 years old when he died.

We’re not sure of Arthur’s exact age before Mikael adopted him, but veterinarians estimated he was between 5 to 7 years old when he came to Sweden in November 2014.

Since Arthur’s passing, Mikael has not brought another dog into his home. Arthur passed away just a few weeks before the production of Arthur the King commenced.

4. About Arthur the King

Arthur the King is a 2024 American adventure film directed by Simon Cellan Jones, written by Michael Brandt, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, and Juliet Rylance.

It is based on the 2016 non-fiction book Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord. In the film, the captain of an adventure racing team befriends a wounded stray dog named Arthur, who accompanies the team on a grueling 435-mile (700-km) endurance race through the Dominican Republic.

. The film was released by Lionsgate on March 15, 2024.