Mark Wahlbergplays a remarkable athlete who meets an even more remarkable dog in his next movie,Arthur the King.PEOPLEhas the exclusive first look at the trailer.

The new movie, based on Swedish extreme athlete and authorMikael Lindnord’s 2017 bookArthur: The Dog Who Crossed The Jungle To Find A Home, stars Wahlberg, 52, as Lindnord (named Michael Light in the film), who met his four-legged companion Arthur while taking part in an adventure racing competition.

Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, Mark Wahlberg and Ali Suliman in ‘Arthur the King’.Carlos Rodriguez/Courtesy of Lionsgate

Simu Liu as Leo, Nathalie Emmanuel as Olivia, Mark Wahlberg as Michael and Ali Suliman as Chik in Arthur The King.

Carlos Rodriguez/Courtesy of Lionsgate

In real life, the film’s subject Lindnord spent six years living with Arthur after he met the dog during a 2014 championship adventure race in Ecuador, per a 2016ESPNstory on the pair. Lindnord announced Arthur’s death in a 2020Instagrampost, writing that the dog’s “life was bigger than life itself and I still see and hear you everywhere in the house.”

“Arthur became a part of our family right from when he entered our front door to the house,” Lindnord tells PEOPLE in a statement about the movie, recalling that the dog “slept the whole night like he [had] lived with us forever” when he first brought Arthur back to Sweden.

‘Arthur the King’ poster.Courtesy of Lionsgate

Arthur the King poster

Courtesy of Lionsgate

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“Arthur´s beautiful soul touched many people and for us in the family he was the best family member you could dream about,” the author adds. “He was like a guardian angel to our kids.”

Simu Liu and Mark Wahlberg in ‘Arthur the King’.Carlos Rodriguez/Courtesy of Lionsgate

Simu Liu as Leo and Mark Wahlberg as Michael in Arthur The King.

“On [The Family Plan], he happily broke the rule about working with children. Now, thanks to Mikael’s amazing book, he’s acting opposite an inspiring canine,” Jones adds of the “incredible range” Wahlberg brings to his roles. “Believe me, you are going to love the relationship between Mark and Arthur.”

Aside from Wahlberg and Liu, the new movie’s cast also includes Juliet Rylance, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ali Suliman, and Paul Guilfoyle. Lionsgate presents in association with eOne, a Tucker Tooley Entertainment / Mark Canton / Municipal Pictures production.

Arthur the Kingreleases in theaters March 22, 2024.

source: people.com