Arthur the King

Alyssa Gin and Sofia Basulto

April 12, 2024

Arthur the King is based on the true story of Mikael Lindnord and the dog he found while racing in Ecuador. While the film took heavy inspiration from this story, it is not the exact events that took place. This film was an adaptation of the memoir by Mikael Lindnord, Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home.

The film stars Mark Wahlberg as Michael Light and was released March 15, 2024. The film was directed by Simon Cellan Jones and features other actors such as Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ali Suliman, and Juliet Rylance. Bear Grylls also makes an appearance in this movie.

The film follows Michael Light and his last chance to win a race. He recruits a team of old and new members and they embark on their journey to the Dominican Republic. This grueling race includes biking, hiking, running, climbing, etc. Over the next 5 days Michael and his team work to reach the finish line.

However, Michael meets a dog who he feeds. They discover the dog at their next checkpoint miles later. They decide to keep the dog with them and name him Arthur, like the king. They make headlines with their new companion and the story of Arthur the King was born.

The dog this movie is inspired by passed away in 2020 due to cancer. However, he lived the rest of his life in peace in Sweden with Mikael Lindnord.

The movie has a box office of $19.9 million and has been receiving positive reviews.

About the Contributors

Alyssa Gin, Writer

Coming back to The Downey Legend for the second year in a row, Alyssa Gin, 12, returns in hopes of preparing herself for college and the future. Gin has been getting ready for this moment for the past 4 years, committing to playing Varsity Girls’ Tennis and volunteering in the Assistance League of Downey. Gin has been ‘experimenting’ with the possibilities of her future, trying different courses within school and accepting new opportunities to learn. Although she believes that getting involved is important, in her free time, her favorite thing to do is going to concerts, shopping, reading, and hanging out with her friends. Gin holds her family close to her heart and values the support she constantly receives and feels from them. “What motivates me through life is my family,” said Gin. “...and also I motivate myself.”

Sofia Basulto, Writer

Entering her final year of high school, Sofia Basulto, is returning for the third and final year of being a writer on the Downey Legend. Although entering senior year can be bittersweet, Basulto is ready to start creating memories and writing them down along the way. After she graduates, Basulto plans to go to her dream school at NYU in hopes of becoming a screenwriter and an actress. Outside of the newspaper room, Basulto is also a part of ASB and loves helping out others. Out of Downey High, Basulto enjoys listening to music, such as Lana Del Rey, SZA, and Amy Winehouse; Basulto also enjoys reading. With her very kind and outgoing personality, Basulto hopes to encourage Dowey High and anyone out there to enjoy this 2023-2024 school year. “ Sometimes, we just have to get out there,” Basulto stated. “ We only live once. We don’t know who can be out there. A person you have never spoken to, can be your soulmate.”