Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures have unveiled the first trailer for A Dog’s Purpose, which is a movie about a dog that dies and gets reincarnated over and over and over again. Basically, if you were destroyed by the final act of Marley & Me, get ready to watch a movie where that happens multiple times!
Directed by Lasse Hallström (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Cider House Rules), the film is basically a vignette-style heartwarming story of, well, a dog’s purpose. Josh Gad voices the canine protagonist as the story begins back in the 1940s or so and follows the dog’s life through a variety of vessels, focusing on the meaning of his own existence in relation to his various human companions. If that sounds like a 10-kleenex weepie to you, the trailer will only confirm that this is probably an emotional watch for any and all dog lovers.
The ensemble cast is made up of a variety of familiar faces, from Dennis Quaid to Tomorrowland star Britt Robertson. It’s basically one of those Lifetime Original Movies, but given that dogs are adorable and sweet and irresistible, it’s hard to be too cynical about this one. Word to the wise: don’t show your mom this trailer unless you’re prepared to take her to the film opening night.
Watch the A Dog’s Purpose trailer below, followed by the poster and some images. The film also stars Peggy Lipton, K.J. Apa, Juliet Rylance, Luke Kirby, John Ortiz, and Pooch Hall. A Dog’s Purpose opens in theaters on January 27, 2017.
Here’s the official synopsis for A Dog’s Purpose:
Based on the beloved bestselling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog’s Purpose, from director Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, Dear John, The 100-Foot Journey), shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog (voiced by Josh Gad) who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love. The family film told from the dog’s perspective also stars Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton, Britt Robertson, K.J. Apa, Juilet Rylance, Luke Kirby, John Ortiz and Pooch Hall.
