And the Oscar for the film world’s top earning dog goes to... Jack Russell
NEVER mind Jaws – it’s paws that rule at the cinema.
A slightly barking study of blockbuster movies of the past 50 years has revealed which breeds translate to box office success when they appear on screen.
And, perhaps surprisingly,
Jack Russells have the biggest earning power.
Films featuring the breed have taken in no less than €830m, thanks to offerings such as the animated family favourite
The Secret Life Of Pets, which revolves around a terrier called Max.
Next come golden retrievers, which got their paws on €700m, helped by another cartoon, Up. The Scooby-Doo movies have made a large contribution to the €486 m taken in by movies featuring Great Danes.
The live action version of 101 Dalmatians from 1996, along with its sequel, 102 Dalmatians, four years later – both starring Glenn Close as the wicked Cruella de Vil – contribute to a total of €456m for the breed.
But the figures exclude the original 1961 cartoon version, which was made before the 50-year window. Adjusted for inflation, that Disney classic took €813m in today’s money.
While breeds associated with cartoons dominate the list, there are also live-action canine stars.
The Beethoven family films help to put the lovable St Bernard at number six, earning €326m at the box office. And the 1997 comedy hit As Good It Gets gives the Brussels griffon €284m in takings.
This was the breed of Verdell, the dog foisted upon the misanthropic Melvin, played by Jack Nicholson. But the study, commissioned by gift company Petlandia, found that overall cats are bigger box office than dogs, taking €7bn against €6bn for canines.
Chief executive Ian Chambers said: ‘We were expecting the Great Dane, St Bernard or the Dalmatian to take the No.1 spot because if you ask someone to name a popular dog movie, you’re of course going to hear Scooby-Doo, Beethoven or 101 Dalmatians. The fact that our top dog is the Jack Russell terrier is a big surprise, suggesting this particular breed is more popular than we imagined.’
Mr Chambers said the growing popularity of the Jack Russell could be traced back to 2015, when the UK’s Kennel Club recognised it as a pedigree breed.
‘Perhaps there’s something in having a smaller, everyman-style dog that cinema audiences are drawn to,’ he said.