Michael J. Fox Voices Robotic Dog in "A.R.C.H.I.E."
Actor and Quogue resident Michael J. Fox provides the voice for a robotic Jack Russell terrier in the upcoming independent family comedy, A.R.C.H.I.E., set for release later this year. The film’s distributor, Double Dutch International, launched sales at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival this weekend, September 18–20.
Fox will play alongside Canadian actress Katharine Isabelle (American Mary, Ginger Snaps, Freddy vs. Jason), who plays Brooke, a world-renowned roboticist who makes A.R.C.H.I.E. (the Artificial Robotronic Canine Intelligence Experiment) appear like a normal dog, but actual has super powers, including super strength and speed, X-ray vision and the ability to talk, according to the recent announcement in Variety. When Brooke’s research program is being shut down by the military, she helps A.R.C.H.I.E. escape so he can find a family to care for him.
The very special dog ends up in a small town, where he befriends a 15-year-old Isabel Sullivan (played by Sarah Desjardins), who recently lost her parents in a car accident and has moved in with her uncle Paul, the town’s mayor. Isabel and Archie (we’ll drop the acronym in his domestic life) become very close as she teaches him to behave like a normal dog and he helps her to fit in with popular crowd. The two also share grief over losing their parents.
Eventually, the plot thickens when Paul is up for reelection and faces off against Veronica Taylor (or Myles, according to one source), a mayoral candidate played by Farrah Aviva who is in the pocket of Burgertropolis, a large fast food chain that has been trying to buy Paul out for years. On top of all that, the evil Hugh Jablonski (Fred Ewanuick) comes to town claiming to be Archie’s rightful owner.
A.R.C.H.I.E. is directed by first-time feature director Robin Dunne, who also penned the script and plays Isabel’s uncle Paul.
Jason Moring of distributor Double Dutch International lauded Fox as a go-to actor for family films like A.R.C.H.I.E., explaining, “From the voice of Stuart Little, to the hit TV show Family Ties, to the blockbuster movie franchise Back to the Future, Michael J. Fox is synonymous with globally successful family entertainment.”
Keep an eye out for the film, which will use the tagline: “Part Dog. Part Machine. Totally Awesome.”
A.R.C.H.I.E. – official trailer featuring Michael J. Fox from Java Post Production on Vimeo.