If there is one movie you need to see right now, it’s Dog Man. It won’t be long before it’s on streaming platforms for the kids to watch over and over again, but this is one to watch in theaters first. Dreamworks has a huge hit on their hands, and it’s clear that this story needs a sequel.
Dog Man is based on the graphic novels of the same name by Dav Pikey. It’s set in a world where a man and his dog are injured to the point they have to be combined into one, with Officer Knight’s body for all the moves and Greg the Dog’s head for all his smarts. Combined together, they end up on a mission to capture Petey the Cat, who is self-proclaimed as “the world’s most evilest cat.”
Dog Man was an immediate hit at the Box Office
Let’s not lie; it’s all about money when it comes to the world of movies. So, for Dog Man to even be considered as a movie to get a sequel, it had to do well at the Box Office. The great news is that it did. With a $40m budget, it gained just short of that during opening weekend and has since grossed $88m domestically.
This isn’t just a hit financially, though. It’s also a hit with those going to the movies. It’s funny but also loyal to the graphic novels, with many Easter eggs for those who love the original work. It’s scored well with the critics as well, which is rare for a movie aimed at kids—I swear critics forget who kids’ movies are actually made for sometimes!
There’s plenty of source material to use
It’s not like the writers are going to struggle with content. Pikey has written multiple graphic novels, with Dog Man continuing his focus on bringing law and order to his town. We get to see his growth with Li’l Petey, and there’s the side story of Petey the Cat’s father being a complete deadbeat and a problem.
Animated movies allow for graphic novels to be transformed easily on screen. There are more Easter eggs to throw in, and there’s a bigger world to explore for everyone. Plus, the graphic novels end up with a new fan base as more people see just how brilliant the storylines are.
Families want to see more of Dog Man
There’s no doubt that there is a call for more among families. As soon as my kids walked out of the theaters, they asked if there would be a sequel. When walking out of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, I could confidently tell them yes. With Dog Man not so much, but there’s a lot of hope and buzz around it. If kids are immediately asking for more, it means the studio has a hit for the audience intended.
Maybe Dreamworks wants to see how well the movie does once it goes to streaming, but it doesn’t need to. Dog Man is the hit they want to talk about expanding.
Dog Man is currently out in theaters.