Good Boy director says there’s only one way Indy the dog would return to acting

Indy the dog is earning widespread praise for his leading role in the upcoming horror movie Good Boy, but his owner (and the film’s director) Ben Leonberg has said there’s only one gig he’d be willing to return to acting for. 

Any dog owner will recognize the scenario: it’s late at night, there’s no one around, and yet your pet pooch is whining, barking, or staring into the abyss. Is it a ghost? A demon? One thing’s for certain: it’s downright terrifying. 

Leonberg has taken that concept and turned it into a full on horror, telling a haunted house tale from a canine’s POV. The director and his producer partner Kari Fischer decided to have their pet Indy take on the starring role.

In the runup to its October 2025 release, Good Boy has become a viral sensation, with Indy becoming a legend in his own right (early reviews have given the film a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score, citing his “outstanding performance”). 

Good Boy star Indy the dog would only return to acting for one gig 

IFC Films

Despite his newfound fame, Leonberg said there are no plans for Indy to continue acting after Good Boy – unless he’s booked for the right dog food commercial. 

The topic of conversation came up in a new interview with Film at Lincoln Center, where the director answered audience questions alongside Fischer and the horror movie’s writer, Alex Cannon.

One attendant said Indy is a “phenomenal actor,” asking, “I was just wondering if maybe you guys see a future in acting for him?” To which Leonberg bluntly replied, “No.” 

If you think he’s being mean, just know that this wasn’t an easy process – Good Boy took four years to produce, with the crew having to continuously rewrite scenes to cater to Indy’s abilities (plus, he kept booping the lens). 

The filmmaker went on to explain, “Look, it was a joy to make this movie… every moment making it really was fun. I don’t know if I need to do it again. And I agree, he really is a star. 

“We truly built the whole production around him, you know, catered towards his needs. This is a very unusual way to make a movie the way we did it.” 

Leonberg continued, “I can imagine some people may want him to be in a movie, but to really get into the nitty-gritty of what that would take and entail: the days are only three hours long because that’s how long he’ll work. 

“There’s no amount of money you can spend that will extend that. It would be practically challenging.”

That being said, the director quipped, “He might sell out for the right dog food commercial though.” Let’s face it: he’d be perfect for Good Boy dog toppers. 

For now, you can catch Indy in his feature-length debut when Good Boy lands in cinemas on October 3 – or, find out when it drops on streaming. You can also check out what else is coming up with our 2025 movies release calendar.