Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2023)

Two teenage Mexican-American loners in 1987 El Paso explore a new, unusual friendship and the difficult road to self-discovery.
Modified Certification

  Animal Action

Poster for Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Release Date: September 29, 2023
Certification: Modified Certification

In the scene where the actor plays with his dog on a bridge, the road where filming took place was private with no traffic. PAs were present on both ends of the road to ensure that no production vehicles drove through. Experienced trainers were present. The trainers remained close to the animal at all times. The dog was accustomed to working on this production. The dog was provided ample time to get acclimated to the set.

In the scene where the actor jogs in the park and the dog follows him, the actor was acclimated to working with the dog. On action, the actor started jogging and the trainer cued the dog to follow him.

In the scene where the truck pulls up to the house and we see the kid and actor in the cab of truck, on action the trainer cued the dog to jump out of the back of the truck together. Prior to shooting the scene, the trainer placed the dog into the truck and cued the dog to sit stay. The dog was then called out of the truck by trainer to come to a mark. The dog would jump out of the truck cab following the actor and would then would walk about 20 feet toward his trainer.

In the scene when the actors walk into the house and see the dog on the couch, the trainer placed the dog on the couch and cued him to stay.

Due to late notification and scheduling conflicts, American Humane Association did not monitor some of the dog action.