What to Know
- This is the sequel to "A Dog's Purpose."
- The first film made $200 million worldwide.
- Josh Gad is the voice of Bailey the dog.
"A Dog's Journey" is the sentimental sequel to "A Dog's Purpose" which made $200 million worldwide at the box office in 2017. With that number, it's no surprise that the studios greenlit this family-friendly film about a dog, reincarnated over and over again.
This film picks up more or less where the other film left off as Bailey, or Big Dog as he's affectionately called, finds his new destiny and it takes him places he never imagined.
Bailey, voiced again by Josh Gad ("Frozen") is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his "boy," Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Ethan's wife Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). He even has a new playmate: Ethan and Hannah's baby granddaughter, CJ. After a family disagreement, CJ's mom Gloria (Betty Gilpin), decides to take CJ away. As Bailey's soul prepares to leave this life for a new one, he makes a promise to Ethan to find CJ and protect her at any cost.
This kicks off a series of reincarnated adventures for Bailey as he tries to find CJ and fulfill his promise to Ethan. He eventually finds CJ and through the magic of movie making love stories, reconnects her with her best friend Trent (Henry Lau). Together with Bailey, now in the body of spunky Max, they experience a lifetime of joy and heartbreak in just a few short years.
"A Dog's Journey" is based on the book by W. Bruce Cameron who also co-wrote the screenplay. If you saw the first film, "A Dog's Purpose," then you have a pretty good idea of what the sequel is about. Bring tissue. There are a lot of tears as each version of Bailey transitions to the wheat field and takes on another life. But as the stars point out, they hope the movie doesn't just evoke sadness, but a sense of hope and joy at these creatures many people consider to be like family.
Watch our interviews with the cast of "A Dog's Journey" to hear what they say about their own experiences with the canines in their lives, as well as working with the trained dogs on set.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
"A Dog's Journey" opens May 17 and stars Dennis Quaid, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott, Henry Lau and Josh Gad as the voice of Bailey. It was directed by Gail Mancuso.
"A Dog's Journey" is a Universal Pictures film. NBCUniversal is the parent company of NBC4.
