Arthur the King is the latest in a long tradition of Hollywood movies about dogs. But there's a usual outcome that may have many of you wondering about the Arthur the King ending. Typically, either the dog finds a loving and happy home or the dog, tragically, dies to pull at our emotional heartstrings but leaving the main characters inspired. So what happens to Arthur in this movie?
We're going to answer that for you below, but also what happens with the team of adventure racers that find Arthur and how the events in the movie differ from that of the true story it is based on. Obviously we'll be getting into SPOILERS for Arthur the King. If you'd prefer to see it first, here's how you can watch Arthur the King right now.
But before we go into details about the ending, here's a quick summary of the plot.
Aside from Arthur, the movie is about adventure racer Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg), a veteran of the sport but someone who has never won a race. In the opening moments we see him competing hard to change that, but he doesn't listen to his teammates about the challenges ahead for them, believing he can just push through to victory. Unfortunately, his stubbornness ends up costing them and they lose.
A few years later he is retired but still itching for one more shot at glory. He manages to scrap together a team (played by Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel and Ali Suliman) and sponsors to compete in the world championship in the Dominican Republic. While running the race, he comes across a stray dog who has been through a lot living on the street and Michael is kind to it. The dog then follows the team on the course and manages to save their lives by stopping them from going over a cliff at night. They decide to keep their new friend and name him Arthur.
With Arthur as inspiration, Michael and his team perform well, giving them a shot at victory, but eventually the pains of the race on the team and all that Arthur has been through start to wear on them. So what happens in the race and does Arthur survive? Let's break it all down.
- Read WTW's Arthur the King review
Do Michael and his team win the race?
Thanks to a risky shortcut, Michael and his team build a big enough lead over their competitors that they are able to take a much needed rest and regain their strength to finish strong in the final stretch.
They are getting ready to go out on kayaks when they are told by race officials that it is unsafe to take Arthur with them on the small boats. While they try to protest, they ultimately decide to leave Arthur behind on the shore. However, Arthur follows them along the coastline for a while and then eventually gets into the water to swim after them. Michael is aware of all this, and decides it is more important for him to go back and get Arthur than win the race, which his teammates ultimately agree is the right decision (it's a good thing too, because they get back just in time to save Arthur from drowning).
They still are able to finish in second place and are the stars of the event. Unfortunately, Arthur collapses shortly after they cross the finish line from his injuries, requiring immediate medical attention.
Does Arthur survive?
Michael takes Arthur to a vet in a small town, where they explain Arthur has wounds that are not only infected, but infested with maggots. They say there is nothing they can do for Arthur there except make him comfortable. Michael asks what Arthur's chances would be if he took him back to the US, but they still aren't confident he would survive. Michael ultimately decides he can't just let Arthur die.
With the help of fans on social media and other racers inspired by Michael and Arthur, they are able to get a plane to take Arthur back to the US and treated by a vet. However, it is still tough to tell if Arthur is going to be able to survive all that has happened to him.
Cut to 18 months later, Michael is running in the hills by his home, and running up beside him is Arthur, healthy and happy for his new life and family.
How is Arthur the King different from the true story it is based on?
The overall story of a stray dog joining up with a team of adventure racers and becoming an inspiration is true, but there are a number of details that have been changed for Arthur the King.
First, the person that Wahlberg's character is based on is not an American named Michael Light, but a Swede named Mikael Lindnord. Also, the country that the race took place in and they found Arthur was not the Dominican Republic, but Ecuador.
Also, a Guardian article by Lindnord about Arthur and other sources made no mention that Arthur saved him or the team from falling off a cliff, so that appears to be a Hollywood invention to up the drama of the story. However, other elements featured, including Michael giving Arthur meatballs when they first met and him swimming after the boat in the final leg of the race, are accurate (if not always to the exact extent as depicted in the movie).
Lindnord did work to bring Arthur home with him after the race (though to Sweden, not the US), and after four months in quarantine Arthur was healthy and able to join his forever family.
Since then, Arthur has participated with Team Peak Performance in other adventure races and is the inspiration for the non-profit The Arthur Foundation.
Arthur the King is now playing exclusively in movie theaters in the US.
