Indy the Dog steals spotlight at ‘Good Boy’ premiere

Indy the Dog takes centre stage at the ‘Good Boy’ premiere before the film’s theatrical release

Hollywood’s red carpet got a chilling twist at the premiere of Good Boy, when Indy the Dog, lead of the haunted-house horror, stepped into the spotlight amidst flashes and gasps. The supernatural thriller, which opens in theatres October 3, is told entirely from Indy’s point of view, making him not a supporting pet but the film’s central character.

On premiere night, the canine star strutted beside cast and crew, capturing attention not with dialogue but with an expressive look and eerie calm. Many in the crowd paused mid-step to record shots of the dog who sees what humans cannot, as winds of gothic shadows seemed to whisper in the gallery. Social media lit up almost immediately, with users comparing the scene to a ghost sighting and labelling Indy “the horror hero we never knew we needed.”

Good Boy is not a lighthearted pet movie. Directed by Ben Leonberg and co-written with Alex Cannon, it follows Indy and his owner Todd as they relocate to a rural, long-vacant house. Once there, Indy begins sensing supernatural forces invisible to humans, guarding Todd even as the darkness intensifies.

Indy’s presence on the red carpet was no mere gimmick. The dog is the face of a high-concept horror experiment, already gaining critical buzz after premiering at SXSW. Indy won the first-ever Howl of Fame award for canine performance, a nod to how central he is to the film’s emotional and chilling core.

Online reaction was immediate and intense. Fans questioned whether cameras were focusing more on Indy than the human cast. Others expressed relief that the dog appears safe, noting past viral horror pet scenes that ended badly (or stirred outrage). The trailer had already triggered a spike in Google searches like “Does the dog die in Good Boy?”, a testament to how invested viewers became in Indy’s fate.

With its 73-minute runtime, PG-13 rating (for terror, bloody images, and strong language), and minimalist human presence, Good Boy isn’t just a haunted-house flick, it’s a haunting relationship between a dog and his owner filtered through fear.