MOVIES: “RIVEDALE’S” OWN ARCHIE, KJ APA SHINES IN THE BIG SCREEN WITH “A DOG'S PURPOSE”

Currently starring  as the lead in the hit CW series Riverdale  which features characters from the Archie comic-books series, new teen sensation KJ Apa makes his big-screen debut in Universal Pictures’ moving tale A Dog’s Purpose.

Based on author W. Bruce Cameron’s beloved best-selling novel, A Dog’s Purpose tells the heart-warming and surprising story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.

Over the course of five decades, a single voice—that of an indefatigable dog—takes us along a riveting and uplifting path that speaks to the heart of anyone who has ever loved an animal.  Although he is reincarnated in the bodies of multiple canines through the years, it is his unbreakable bond with a kindred spirit named Ethan that carries and inspires one dog throughout his journey to find a true purpose for his boy.

MOVIES: DIRECTOR LASSE HALSTROM GETS CRITICAL PRAISE FOR “A DOG'S PURPOSE”

One of the world’s most renowned directors, Lasse Halstrom is best known to audiences as the maker of such poignant but resolutely unsentimental films as My Life as a Dog, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and The Cider House Rules.

His newest film, A Dog's Purpose shares the heartwarming and surprising story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.

The director claims it is no accident he was attracted to the material: “I made two movies about dogs previously—My Life as a Dog and Haichi—so this is my third dog story. If you have an interest in outsiders and emotions that seems irrational to humans, you can certainly relate to a dog’s feelings and a dog’s life.”

MOVIES: DENNIS QUAID SHARES SAME ROLE WITH TWO ACTORS IN “A DOG'S PURPOSE”

For Universal Pictures' new family adventure, A Dog's Purpose, director Lasse Hallström looked to Dennis Quaid who he directed over 20 years ago in Something to Talk About. Known for his portrayals in both comedic and dramatic roles over the years, Quaid was Hallstrom's the ultimate choice for the role of Adult Ethan.

Based on author W. Bruce Cameron’s beloved best-selling novel, A Dog’s Purpose shares the heartwarming and surprising story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.

Over the course of five decades, a single voice—that of an indefatigable dog—takes us along a riveting and uplifting path that speaks to the heart of anyone who has ever loved an animal. Although he is reincarnated in the bodies of multiple canines through the years, it is his unbreakable bond with a kindred spirit named Ethan that carries and inspires one dog throughout his journey to find a true purpose for his boy.

MOVIES: BELOVED BESTSELLER “A DOG'S PURPOSE” NOW A HEARTWARMING FILM

Based on author W. Bruce Cameron’s beloved best-selling novel, A Dog’s Purpose, comes director Lasse Hallström’s heartwarming  and surprising story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.

After its publication in 2010, A Dog’s Purpose became an enormous hit, finding an audience with animal lovers across the globe who were charmed by its tender, poignant and humorous take on what our animal companions think of us and why they are truly here.  The No. 1-New York Times Best-Selling book spent more than one year on that list and has been translated into 20 languages, and published in 29 different countries worldwide.  It even spawned a sequel, “A Dog’s Journey,” which was published in 2012 and achieved similar acclaim.

The series author, W. Bruce Cameron, is well known as the writer of the best-selling humor tome 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.  The book was adapted into a hugely popular ABC sitcom, which starred the late John Ritter, and Katey Sagal and introduced the world to The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco.