In a touching letter, Indy asks how many great animal performances still need to be overlooked before the Academy turns its attention to animal actors.
An unprecedented move ahead of the 2026 Oscars. The Good Boy star himself, Indy the dog, is calling for animals to be eligible for the Best Actor award.
In an open letter to the Academy, Indy, the star of one of the season's most anticipated horror films, called for animal actors to be included in the acting categories, arguing that it's time for Hollywood to give its four-legged performers the recognition they deserve.
What does Indy write in his letter to the Academy?
"Despite my critically acclaimed performance in Good Boy, I was deemed ineligible for the Best Actor category," Indy lamented in the letter distributed by IFC, as reported by Variety. "Apparently, I'm not good enough for you."
Indy's letter references a long and distinguished tradition of animal actors who have delivered emotionally moving performances, from Jed the wolfdog in White Fang to the whale in Free Willy and the lead pig in Babe, all of whom failed to earn a nomination.
"How many great performances must be overlooked before the Academy gives us an award?" Indy asks. His plea has been met with critical acclaim, with IndieWire calling him "one of the most engaging actors of his generation."
Everyone's crazy about Good Boy, a dog horror film
Indy's demand is currently supported by box office results. Good Boy debuted with $2.2 million, marking the second-best opening weekend ever for IFC after Late Night with the Devil (2024), which grossed $2.8 million. It also marked the third-best opening weekend ever for IFC Entertainment Group, behind this year's record-breaking release of The Clown of Kettle Springs.
And anticipation is growing for the Italian premiere of Good Boy, which will open the new edition of Alice nella Città on October 15th.
In Ben Leonberg's film, Indy, the director's true four-legged companion, becomes the filter through which the viewer perceives fear, exploiting animals' ability to perceive presences invisible to human eyes. No talking animals, no caricatures: just pure terror, and the daily relationship between dog and owner becomes a magnifying glass of our deepest anxieties.
The director revealed that he was inspired by Stephen King's creative method, building the story around a hypothetical question: "What if the family dog was the only one who knew the house was haunted?" From there, a paranormal thriller is born that plays on the universal anguish of perceiving something beyond our comprehension, yet clearly sensed by our most faithful protector.
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