Good Boy expands to wide theatrical release after haunted house trailer goes viral with a million views

Good Boy expands to a wide theatrical release after its haunted house trailer crossed one million YouTube views in four days, prompting IFC to shift from a planned limited run to a broader rollout on October 3, 2025. Viewers have rallied around Good Boy’s core hook: a dog-POV haunting in which Indy tries to protect his owner, Todd, inside a rural farmhouse.

The film is written and directed by Ben Leonberg, with Indy (Leonberg’s real dog) in the lead alongside Shane Jensen, Larry Fessenden, Arielle Friedman, Anya Krawcheck, and Stuart Rudin. The early reception has been strong: Good Boy premiered at SXSW in March and currently holds a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes at press time. Runtime and rating are audience-friendly, too, clocking in at about 73 minutes with a PG-13 certificate.

The viral momentum, coupled with festival buzz, positions Good Boy as a high-concept horror title with mainstream curiosity built in, as IFC coordinates the wider theatrical push before a later streaming window on Shudder.

Why the Good Boy rollout just went wide

IFC expanded Good Boy from a limited plan to a wide theatrical release after the trailer surpassed one million views within four days of its August 18 debut, signalling outsized demand beyond the original footprint. Coverage linked the surge to the film's premise and a spike in searches about the dog’s fate.

Reports also confirmed a wider rollout on October 3, 2025. Taken together, the pivot makes sense: strong organic interest, a short runtime, and a concept that plays in mainstream theatres.

As per the People report dated August 18, 2025, Ben Leonberg stated:

“This isn’t Air Bud or Lassie, where the dog is always happy-go-lucky, clearly acting for food or listening to an off-camera trainer.”

The filmmaker emphasised that the film’s point of view and restraint are designed to read as behaviorally real rather than anthropomorphised pet fantasy. This tone likely helped Good Boy convert casual clicks into intent to see it in theatres.

Release plan, rating, runtime, and trailer

Good Boy opens in U.S. theatres on October 3, 2025, with a later streaming window on Shudder. The film is rated PG-13 and runs approximately 1h 13m, making it a compact fall horror option.

For viewers tracking regional availability, the U.K. theatrical is currently dated October 10 via local listings coverage. The wide push follows the four-day million-view trailer milestone that catalyzed the rollout change.

The trailer shows a home-video glimpse of puppy Indy, then nighttime house beats seen at a dog’s eye level, stairwell thumps, a groggy figure slamming into a door, muddy prints on wood, blood in a bathtub drain, and a final threat framed behind Indy. That sequence explains why the clip spread quickly: it invites viewers to watch for things a human might miss, then asks how far a dog’s loyalty can carry the story.

As per the People report dated August 18, 2025, Leonberg remarked:

“My goal was to have Indy behave and act realistically — or as realistically as possible, given the film’s supernatural events. He’s not imbued with a voice nor directed by abstract thought, but by instinct, sensation and simple reasoning.”

Cast, creative team, festival buzz, and quick viewer FAQ

Cast and crew: Writer-director Ben Leonberg. Indy as Indy. Shane Jensen as Todd, with Larry Fessenden, Arielle Friedman, Anya Krawcheck, and Stuart Rudin rounding out the ensemble. The production keeps the camera low and reactive to maintain the dog-centric vantage.

Festival and reception: Good Boy premiered at SXSW in March and has maintained a strong critical start, with a 95% Tomatometer at the time of writing. As per the People report dated August 18, 2025, the SXSW jury stated:

“Through a uniquely authentic perspective in the horror genre, this goodest boy delivers a performance that is both natural and chilling.”

That sentiment tracks with the film’s quick adoption by horror outlets and general-interest media, which in turn helped drive the viral trailer cycle. Across its campaign and coverage, Good Boy has benefited from a clear premise stated cleanly: a haunted house seen through a dog’s eyes. That clarity, paired with a tight runtime and a PG-13 rating, helps explain why Good Boy moved from niche curiosity to a wide release, and why it is positioned to draw a broader crowd when it reaches theatres in October.

Stay tuned for more updates.