Two beloved animal-adventure movies featuring the voice of Josh Gad are set to stream on Netflix soon. Based on best-selling books, the movies follow a dog’s adventure across multiple lifetimes.
A Dog’s Journey and A Dog’s Purpose to hit Netflix soon
A Dog’s Purpose and its sequel, A Dog’s Journey, will begin streaming on Netflix from Wednesday, July 1, 2026 (via What’s on Netflix).
The movies are each based on a novel by W. Bruce Cameron of the same name. The books were released in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Lasse Hallström helmed the original, while Gail Mancuso directed the sequel. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment served as one of the production studios for both installments.
A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey follow Bailey, a loyal dog who is reincarnated multiple times while retaining memories of his past lives. Through his many journeys, Bailey comes to understand his purpose: to bring love and comfort. His ultimate goal is to reunite with his original owner, Ethan, who has also entrusted him with looking after his estranged granddaughter, CJ.
Josh Gad lent his voice to Bailey in both movies. Dennis Quaid, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott, and Henry Lau round out the cast.
A Dog’s Purpose was released on January 27, 2017. It received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics but garnered strong support from audiences. 147 critics on Rotten Tomatoes rated it 35%, but over 10K users gave it 74%. Commercially, the movie went on to make $205 million globally against a $22 million budget.
Following the first film’s commercial success, A Dog’s Journey was released on May 17, 2019. Upon release, the movie received better reviews from both critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a critics’ approval rating of 53%, while the user rating is an impressive 91%. At the global box office, it ended its theatrical run with $78.8 million on a $16 million budget.
Originally reported by Harsha Panduranga on ComingSoon.
