Will Ferrell Is a Dog With a Bone to Pick
The Big Picture
- Strays is an R-rated comedy about a neglected dog seeking revenge on his owner, offering a unique spin on the typical family movie.
- The film follows Reggie, a naive Border Terrier who teams up with a stray Boston Terrier named Bug and his friends to get revenge on his toxic owner.
- Early test screenings of Strays have received positive responses, with full applause and excitement during climactic moments, generating anticipation for its theatrical release on August 18.
Few things scream "family movie" like a movie centered around talking dogs. Strays is certainly not for the whole family, though — an R-rated comedy set to premiere in theaters next month. The upcoming feature centers on a neglected dog named Reggie who seeks revenge on his less-than-dog worthy owner Doug. Ahead of the movie's release on August 18, Universal is adding a little more bite to its bark with a newly released trailer offering another look at what to expect.
Strays follows Reggie (Will Ferrell), a Border Terrier with a relentlessly optimistic view of the world who is also rather naïve. So, when his owner Doug (Will Forte) leaves Reggie to fend for himself on the streets, Reggie is certain there must be some mistake. Why would Doug do such a thing? It's not until Reggie meets a stray Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx) that Reggie realizes his relationship with Doug was rather toxic, finally losing the rose-colored glasses. Fueled by this new epiphany, Reggie, Bug, and Bug's friends — who face their own challenges with their owners — team up to help Reggie make his way back home and get revenge on Doug where it will hurt him most.
Strays was written by Dan Perrault (American Vandal, Players) and directed by Josh Greenbaum (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar). Perrault serves as a producer alongside duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller — known for projects such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Cocaine Bear, The Lego Movie, and more — Aditya Sood, Erik Feig, and Louis Leterrier. Additional cast includes Isla Fisher as an Australian Sheppard named Maggie, Randall Park as an anxious Great Dane named Hunter, Josh Gad, Rob Riggle, Jamie Demetriou, Sofia Vergara, Harvey Guillén, and a cameo by Dennis Quaid as himself.
Strays Is Already Gaining Positive Responses
Strays may not yet be in theaters, but early test screenings have already been a success for the upcoming feature. Back in February, Greenbaum spoke with Collider's Steve Weintraub about making the feature and what to expect. During their conversation, Greenbaum revealed that the movie "tested very, very well, particularly for a first screening, but also just in our climactic kind of moment, we had full applause and full hooting and hollering." Based on that reaction, Greenbaum is excited for more people to experience the movie in theaters and is hopeful the positive reactions will continue.
Strays premieres August 18 in theaters. Watch the new trailer below:
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