'A Dog's Purpose' Sequel In The Works, Thanks To China

The only you probably remember about the dog reincarnation movie “A Dog’s Purpose” was the brief furor raised about allegations of animal abuse on the set of the film. What you might not have realized is that modestly budgeted film quietly racked up $64 million domestic, and another $128 million abroad, for a healthy $193 million worldwide haul. Even more, that foreign total? $88 million of it came from China alone, and you probably know the next part of this story….

…that’s right, a sequel to “A Dog’s Purpose” is in the works. Amblin Entertainment has started the wheels going on the followup, with development keeping a Chinese audience in mind. No word yet on what exactly that means, but it likely means casting that will resonate more strongly with audiences in China, and probably a story that’s more globally focused, rather than rooted in familiar Americana tropes. But let’s face it, as long as you have a cute dog in the lead, that does much of the heavy lifting no matter where you are.

It’s all early stages, so there’s also no word if Lasse Hallstrom or if someone else will grab the leash, but one way or the other, this doggone sequel is going to happen. [The Wall Street Journal via Vulture]