Key Takeaways

• New Category: The Academy has announced a new category for stunt design recognition.
• Indy’s Letter: Indy, the dog from Good Boy, expressed disappointment over not being eligible for Best Actor.
• Animal Actors: Indy highlighted the significant contributions of animal actors in films.
• Call for Recognition: The letter urges the Academy to acknowledge the work of animal performers.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced earlier this year that it will introduce a new category to recognize stunt design, but could an Oscar for animals be next? I doubt it, but that’s the hope of Indy, the canine star of Good Boy.

In an open letter to the Academy (via Variety), Indy said, “Despite my critically acclaimed role in the recent film Good Boy — I have been deemed ineligible for the Best Actor category. This news feels as if someone has yanked my leash short, as apparently, I am not a good enough boy for you.“

Indy continued, “As a young pup, I was forever changed by Jed the wolf-dog’s stirring performance in White Fang. That was the moment I first knew: I wanted to chase my own Hollywood dreams. From Free Willy to Babe, The Birds to War Horse — animal actors have carried emotional arcs, and in some cases, entire franchises — all while suffering this indifference and disregard from the two-legged actor community at large. To date, we remain largely absent from your yearly accolades, unrecognized for our craft, and left in my smaller but still adequate house by the academy at large.“

“How many great performances must go overlooked before the Academy throws us a bone?” Indy asks. The letter closes with the request that the Academy “stop lifting your leg on the contribution of myself and the many great animal actors whose work continues to go unrecognized.” Give this pup an Oscar already! Or at least some leftover craft services bacon — he’s more than earned it.

Good Boy is a ghost story with a twist: it’s all told from the perspective of a dog. The film follows a loyal dog who moves to a rural family home with his owner, only to discover supernatural forces lurking in the shadows. As dark entities threaten his human companion, the brave pup must fight to protect the one he loves most. Be sure to check out our interview with director Ben Leonberg (and Indy himself).

In his review of the film, our own Tyler Nichols singled out Indy’s performance. “It’s so strange to be talking about a dog’s performance, but it’s hard not to when it comes to a film like this,” he wrote. “Indy isn’t a ‘stunt dog,’ yet he clearly takes commands well, as the filmmakers are able to get what actually feels like a performance out of him. There are so many ways that this could have gone wrong, and yet they were able to do a great job making the dog emote and move at the right times. I wonder how many treats were used during the making of this movie to coax him? It helps that Indy himself is absolutely adorable and seems like the most loyal dog in the world.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.