When TV fanatics hear “Chicago,” their minds probably go to the hit network franchise that includes Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and more. The co-creator of said franchise, Michael Brandt, has a new project that has just been released — but this time, it’s up on the big screen. Arthur the King is adapted from famed adventure racer Mikael Lindnord’s acclaimed book about his life-changing experience 10 years ago when the eponymous furry friend entered his world. Later named Arthur, a beloved dog that followed Mikael and his team to the finish.

Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg plays Mikael in the new movie from Lionsgate and directed by Simon Cellan Jones, and we recently caught up with screenwriter Brandt to learn more about his experience adapting the book to screen, and what it’s been like writing for other hit Hollywood franchises.

The ‘2 Secret Weapons’ of Arthur the King
Arthur the King 3/5 Release Date March 15, 2024 Director Simon Cellan Jones

Seeing the trailer for Arthur the King, you already know the film is already off to a solid start thanks to a couple of key components. “We do kind of have the secret weapon of a wonderful dog,” Brandt told MovieWeb. “I guess Mark Wahlberg, too — so, two secret weapons… You have your ideal list in your head of who might do this, and Mark was definitely on there… We all know how driven Mark is, physically, from a business standpoint, everything. And Mikael [Lindnord, the real-life athlete], you don’t do what Mikael does for a living without being driven. So it was perfect.”

Brandt is certainly no stranger to high-profile Hollywood projects, and that extends to at-home programming as well. “I had just come off of five years of Chicago shows, which was amazing and one of the best things I’ve ever done,” said Brandt in recalling how he became involved in Arthur the King. He went on:

“I feel like I had a
real family in Chicago
. But as they say, with network TV, your job is to feed an animal that never gets full. And it was just kind of time. One of the first meetings I had when I was kind of looking for the next thing was with Tucker Tooley, who’s the producer, and we were talking about various things. And he said, ‘I don’t know if this is for you, but there’s this story…’ And he gave me the two-sentence pitch. And I said, ‘Absolutely, yes, that’s for me.'”

Brandt continued to detail why he pounced on the opportunity for a movie like this:

“I’ve always wanted to do a sports movie, and so my initial feeling was, ‘This is a sports movie, and there happens to be a dog along for the ride, versus: This is Benji or name-your-Disney-dog-movie, where the dog smiles and you hear his thoughts, and he might talk or not talk to the cat or the funny squirrel.’ But this was not that, in my mind. I saw the great ESPN piece that they did on Arthur, and then I got in contact with Mikael in Sweden. And we said, ‘Let’s meet in New York.'”

Fans of Arthur the King might be reminded of a certain other racing-type movie that was just honored with a couple of nominations at the Oscars: Nyad on Netflix. “I think it is fantastic. I had no expectations going in. I was completely enthralled. I mean, the acting is as good as it gets,” said Brandt, talking about Nyad. “The parallel between Diana Nyad and Mikael is very, very close quarters… When you sit down and spend time with Mikael the person, it feels very similar to the portrayal of Diana Nyad.”

Related: The True Story Behind Arthur the King, Explained

Michael Brandt Wants a Wanted Sequel
Universal Pictures

Those familiar with Brandt’s work outside of Arthur and the Chicago franchise might know he co-wrote a hugely popular film that was released back in 2008: Wanted. There has been talk over the years of a possible follow-up, and Brandt shared some updates with us. “We had an idea for a sequel. We pitched it, wrote it. And it seems like there was some real interest in the studio to make it. And then Timur, who directed the first one, absolutely was interested as well. But he had a kind of a different idea for what he wanted to do,” explained Brandt, who added:

“And it’s just one of those moments where somebody says the wrong thing in terms of our movie going forward, and the script that we’d written going forward. And Timur suggested some changes, and it kind of took the wind out of the sails at the studio. And then, the studio’s turnover is ‘fast and furious,’ to borrow a phrase. And I think the sequel of Wanted just kind of got left behind as other things started going forward.”

“So there’s a script,” added Brandt. “I’d love to see it get made, and I really liked it. I thought it was a proper sequel to the first one. But so far, the momentum has been lost. I do get a call every now and then from some producer who says, ‘Can we reinvigorate this thing? And I say, ‘Yeah, here’s the script.’ And they say, ‘Wow, we love the script.’ And I say, ‘Cool, call the studio.’ And then it seems to die there for some reason.” Listen, studios: make it happen.

2 Fast, 2 Furious, 2 Chicago

Speaking of “fast and furious,” Brandt has also been involved in that hit franchise, having co-written 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). “You’re talking about a time when we were debating whether it was too crazy to have a car drive along the water’s edge and crash into a boat,” said Brandt, chuckling about how crazy the ideas in the latest Fast sequels have become. “The audience loves them, obviously… I’m just happy for their success… It’s a crazy cool phenomenon to be a small part of.”

Related Arthur the King Review: A Solid but Occasionally Cheesy True-Story Adventure Director Simon Cellan Jones could have dialed back on some overly sad dog moments, but the rest is gripping enough for the whole family.

Brandt’s hugely successful Chicago franchise on TV (Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med) has also been in the news as of late, especially after long-running Chicago Fire cast member Kara Killmer was announced to be exiting the series. “Kara had a really great long run,” said Brandt, thinking about the actress. He went on:

“She did an amazing job jumping in, and in a difficult time, actually, because we were losing Lauren German at the time, and she seemed a little irreplaceable. And thankfully, Kara came in and just kind of steadied the ship and ended up being there, what, 10 years or something… So it’s the natural progression of a successful network show, that there’s turnover and actors want to go do something else… It is grueling. It does feel like it’s never-ending.”

Looking at everything Brandt has done and has going on feels never-ending, as well. From the very prolific Brandt and Lionsgate, Arthur the King is now playing in theaters. You can watch the trailer below: