An independent film studio is launching an Oscar campaign for the lead star of a new horror film – the catch being the actor is a dog.
The canine star of Good Boy, a horror movie told from the perspective of a dog, was released earlier this month and studio IFC has asked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to be throw them a bone ahead of the forthcoming awards race.
As it stands, Oscars can only be given to human actors but in a humorous open letter, published by Variety, the studio believes it’s time this rule is changed.
“Despite my critically acclaimed role in the recent film Good Boy – I have been deemed ineligible for the Best Actor category,” the letter, written from Indy’s perspective, reads. “Apparently, I am not a good enough boy for you.”
Elsewhere, the letter highlights how other animal performers, such as the pig in Babe, Jed the wolf-dog in White Fang, Keiko the Orca in Free Willy, never got the credit they deserved at the Oscars.
“How many great performances must go overlooked before the Academy throws us a bone?” Indy wrote.
Indy, who also signed the letter with a paw print, concluded: “We ask that you stop lifting your leg on the contribution of myself and the many great animal actors whose work continues to go unrecognised.”
The IFC campaign started to gather momentum after the launch of the film’s trailer and poster went viral during the summer, with more than 100 million views across platforms.
Good Boy, directed and written by Ben Leonberg, was initially planned as a modest release but opted for larger distribution, eventually earning more than $2.3m at the domestic box office, the second-best opening weekend ever for IFC.
It follows Todd (Shane Jensen) and his dog Indy as they relocate to an old farmhouse that is rumoured to be haunted.
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Currently there are very few awards that recognise animal actors and their contributions to movies.
In 1939, the Hollywood office of the American Humane Association introduced the PATSY Award (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year). The gong, though, was only active between the early 1950s and mid 1970s, with the final recipient being Tonto the Cat in the 1974 comedy-drama Harry and Tonto.
Elsewhere, the Palm Dog Award has been active at the Cannes Film Festival since 2001, recognising the best performance by a canine in films shown at the festival each year. The award, which consists of a leather dog collar, was awarded to Panda in 2025 for their role in the Icelandic film The Love That Remains.
