SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains light spoilers for Strays. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!
The new comedy Strays features a number of weird, R-rated gags and surprises, but the best of them features the protagonists running into what’s referred to as a Narrator Dog. The bit parodies the films A Dog's Purpose and A Dog’s Journey, and it’s great not just because of the dark twist that’s thrown in, but because the Narrator Dog is voiced by Josh Gad (a.k.a. the star of A Dog's Purpose and A Dog’s Journey). It’s a great joke – but the movie’s director wasn’t always sure that it was going to work out as planned.
Prior to the release of Strays this weekend, I spoke with Josh Greenbaum during the film’s virtual press day, and I made a specific point of asking about getting Josh Gad involved. The filmmaker explained that asking for any kind of permission was never a thing because Universal Pictures produced the movies that were parodied, but he added that he wasn’t always sure how Gad would respond to the idea. Said Greenbaum,
Yeah, you know, I remember thinking, 'Oh God, Josh Gad – we have to get Josh Gad to do this 'cause it's just perfect.' I said, 'But if we ask him, he's either gonna be very offended or he's gonna be all in.' Like, there's no gray area like, 'Let me think about it.' And of course, he's such a funny guy. He was so all in.
In Strays, the Narrator Dog is a Golden Retriever introduced while the main characters are trying to find some food at a fair. He is featured standing by observing his owner and his girlfriend have a romantic moment… and he ponders her fate due to the fact that she is evidently dating a dangerous, violent psychopath who has multiple bodies buried in his backyard.
It’s a funny and messed up take on the romantic drama that is featured in Josh Gad’s other dog-centric movies, and apparently it wasn’t the only gag that was available for Josh Greenbaum to use when Strays was being edited. The director reflected on his time with Gad in the recording sessions and remarked that the actor came up with some wild ideas:
We had him come on and he said, beyond just his delivery, he said some hilariously inappropriate and filthy things that, through his Sweet Olaf voice, was just killing me. I remember the voiceover session, I couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard. Josh was all in from the get go.
With the reference to A Dog's Purpose/A Dog’s Journey in Strays, I also asked Josh Greenbaum if there were ideas for other movie dogs to include in the film. Perhaps an encounter with a rabid Saint Bernard a la Cujo? The filmmaker said that idea wasn’t in the mix during production, but pitched his own version and suggested it could be material for a sequel:
In retrospect, that would be funny, if they ran into like a celebrity dog or something. Like they ran into Air Bud at the fair or something, like, 'I know that dog from something.' No, we didn't we didn't have anything else in there, but maybe if we are fortunate enough to make another one of these, we'll bring that in, bring others from the dog cinematic universe. We'll just open it up and bring all sorts of animals in.
Featuring a stellar cast that includes Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, Randall Park and Will Forte, Strays is now playing in theaters everywhere – and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interview with Josh Greenbaum. For a look ahead at all of the films set to be released between now and the end of the year, both on the big screen and on streaming, check out our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.
