“No matter how the film performs this weekend, there is virtually no way to accurately quantify how the ultimate gross receipts for the film may have been impacted by the negative publicity,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker comScore. And Gavin Polone, a producer of the film, wrote an editorial in the Hollywood Reporter attacking American Humane and asserting his lifelong love of animals. Actor Josh Gad, who lends his voice to a dog in the film, issued a statement on Twitter saying he has asked the studio and production team for an explanation of what he calls “disturbing images.” “A Dog’s Purpose” star Dennis Quaid went on TV’s “Entertainment Tonight” calling the leaked video “a scam.”
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American Humane, the watchdog organization that certifies that “no animals were harmed” during TV and movie productions, suspended an employee and launched a third-party investigation into the incident.
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Producer Amblin Entertainment and distributor Universal Pictures went into full damage control, complete with a “war room,” canceling a planned press day and starry premiere, but sticking to its plan to open the PG-rated film in more than 3,000 North American theaters on Friday. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has called for a boycott of “A Dog’s Purpose.” 18 on TMZ.com and quickly went viral, fallout has been extensive, including: “As far as videos that can come out for your film, this is definitely not the one you want if you’re the filmmakers, right before the movie opens.” “Sometimes a controversy can help you, but this isn’t one of those cases,” said Gitesh Pandya, editor of. Which is why a video leaked last week of a frightened dog apparently forced into rushing water during the making of the film is so damaging to its opening box-office prospects this weekend : It alienates, even offends, its very audience. Based on a bestselling book and told from a dog’s perspective, it’s a feel-good story for animal lovers of all kinds. Marketers would describe “A Dog’s Purpose” as a film with “four-quadrant” appeal, meaning it’s likely to draw moviegoers of both genders, young and old.