They say a dog is a man’s best friend, but what if the man is a total dirtbag? This is the vital question at the center of the new comedy outing, Strays, for which a new trailer has just been released. Released courtesy of Universal Pictures, Strays follows Will Ferrell as the voice of Reggie, a naïve, relentlessly optimistic Border Terrier, who is abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug (Will Forte). And now, it might be time for some sweet revenge, doggy style. Check out the latest trailer for Strays below.
Despite being left alone in the big wild world, Reggie soon finds a friend in a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier named Bug, voiced by Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx. With the pair determined to seek revenge, Strays has been called “a subversion of the dog movies we know and love” and promises all manner of hilarious, R-rated, live-action comedy all about the complications of love, the importance of great friendships, and the unexpected virtues of couch humping.
Have you been in the mood for yet another movie filled with adorable talking dogs going on some crazy adventures together? Well, this one may satisfy that craving, if you don’t mind both the bark and the bite. Late last year, a new live-action/CGI animated film called Strays was announced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (21 Jump Street) as part of their new deal with Universal Pictures.
Set as the dark twist to some of Hollywood’s most beloved talking animal classics such as Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) and A Dog’s Way Home (2017), Strays is the latest comedic creation of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, with Josh Greenbaum (Behind the Mask) both directing and producing, and Dan Perrault (Players) writing the project. Other producers include Erik Feig, Louis Leterrier, and Aditya Sood. Starring in the film is comedy heavyweights such as Will Ferrell (Spirited), Jamie Foxx (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Isla Fisher (Back to the Outback), Randall Park (Ant-Man and the Wasp), and several others.
Strays Is Due to Land in Theaters Next Month
Strays will introduce audiences to a cute, scruffy dog named Reggie (Will Ferrell), who tells us just how much he loves his amazing owner Doug (Will Forte). However, Doug turns out to be an alcoholic and abusive owner, living in a trailer in the middle of nowhere who couldn’t care less about Reggie and repeatedly tries to dump him in various, far-off places to get rid of him. Reggie endearingly calls the game “Fetch and ****” and is none the wiser about its actual implications. Soon enough, it looks like Doug tries an entirely new location and dumps Reggie off in a nearby big city. Now truly abandoned, Reggie wanders the city’s dark alleys, meeting new, strange dogs he’s never seen before. Eventually, he runs into a Boston Terrier named Bug, who tells the truth to him straight and offers to show him life in the big city as a stray. Reggie travels with Bug and his gang of canine misfits, going on back alley beer binges and humping lawn gnomes.
Embracing his new life as a stray, Reggie comes to realize that Doug never truly loved him and vows to get revenge by taking, well, biting away the only thing he knows Doug has ever loved. Bug and the others agree to help him get back to his former home to get said revenge, and the footage so far gives all the profanity-laced hints that the film will be every bit as snarky and raunchy as others such as Seth MacFarlane’s Ted (2012) movies, also done by Universal.
Strays is scheduled to be released in the United States on August 18, 2023. You can check out the previous trailer below.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
