August dog movie roundup: Alpha and A-X-L among standouts
Dog movies are somewhat rare at the movie theater. But August saw THREE separate canine-centric entries hit screens across the country.
The dog days of summer are over, but they went out with a mighty bark, as three different original films starring our favorite four-footed pals released in theaters across the country.
The first to release was the romantic comedy movie Dog Days, starring Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical, Spring Breakers). It opened August 8 with a $2.5 million opening weekend, and has earned $6.8 million so far to rank No. 50 all-time in the dog subgenre, according to Box Office Mojo.
The film’s plot follows a large cast of characters in the Los Angeles area and their interactions with each other, and consists of at least eight storylines, touching on a variety of themes including childbirth, adoption, personal responsibility, maturity and death.
Next to release was the prehistoric action/adventure thriller Alpha, about a nomad who befriends and somewhat domesticates a wolf, becoming (so to speak) the first boy-and-his-dog adventure tale.
Alpha stars Kodi Smit-McPhee, who is known primary for playing the mutant Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in the superhero film X-Men: Apocalypse.
It opened August 17 and earned $10.3 million during its opening weekend, earning $34.7 million domestically so far, and another $34.3 million overseas for a current total of $69 million, slightly paying for its production cost ($51 million). That puts it at No. 25 among all-time dog movies, according to Box Office Mojo.
The final canine film was another adventure titled A-X-L, starring rapper/actress Becky G (Power Rangers) and Alex Neustaedfer, whose most recognizable credit is a guest appearance in the ABC TV series Agents of SHIELD.
It opened August 24 and earned $2.8 million during its opening weekend, with current total is $6.4 million.
A-X-L follows a motocross-racing teen and the robot dog he befriends as they evade the pursuing military trying to reclaim their lost asset.
Also in the month’s doggy film and TV news, movies about DC Comics’ Legion of Super Pets and the Looney Tunes’ Wile E Coyote were announced, as was a reboot of the children’s TV series Blue’s Clues.
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