'A Dog's Way Home' Trailer Tries To Be This Generation's 'Homeward Bound'

The world is a terrible place, but at least we can take solace in the fact that Hollywood will never stop making movies about adorable animals. A Dog's Way Home is the latest entry into the genre, and it looks to be making a serious play to become this generation's version of the 1993 talking-pet classic Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. Grab a tissue and check out the trailer below.

A Dog's Way Home Trailer

Remember the ending of Homeward Bound, when it seems as if the old golden retriever Shadow isn't going to make it home, but he eventually comes over that autumnal ridge, the music swells triumphantly, and you burst into tears every time? (That can't just be me, right?) Anyway, A Dog's Way Home looks to be a similar take on the deep connection that's forged between a pet and its owner, tracking a dog's long journey back to its human and the adventures it gets into along the way. If you can get past the rough-looking CG mountain lion, this may be the sort of touching drama that could be a small bright spot during the movie dumping ground in the beginning of 2019. Basically, it looks like exactly what you'd expect from the writer of last year's A Dog's Purpose.

I spent the entire trailer zeroing in on the voice of the puppy and trying to figure out which celebrity provided the voice of that character without looking it up, and while I was initially convinced it was Kristen Bell, I ultimately came to the correct conclusion: it's the voice of Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World).

Charles Martin Smith (Air Bud, Dolphin Tale) directs from a screenplay by W. Bruce Cameron (Muffin Top: A Love Story) and Cathryn Michon (Cook Off!). Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer-King, Alexandra Shipp, Wes Studi, and Edward James Olmos co-star.

Here's the poster:

A Dog's Way Home poster

Here's the official synopsis:

A Dog's Way Home chronicles the heartwarming adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human.

A Dog's Way Home hits theaters on January 11, 2019.