What do you suppose your dog would learn about being human if it were studying you? Garth Stein’s novel The Art of Racing in the Rain explores that very topic. The story is told from the perspective a dog, which should make adapting it to a movie a tricky task. Universal has found a writer for the project, however.

According to Variety, Mark Bomback has signed on to pen the adaptation of Stein’s best-selling novel The Art of Racing in the Rain. Told through the mind of a dog named Enzo, the story follows the canine as he observes his race-car driving master and studies humans in the hopes that he’ll be reincarnated into one when his dog-life is over. Patrick Dempsey is set to star in the film, as well as produce.

Bomback’s previous writing credits include action films Unstoppable and Live Free or Die Hard. Variety also notes that he did a rewrite for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. So, he does have some experience with animal stories... right? Ok, that’s probably kind of a stretch.


Oftentimes stories about beloved pets are told through the eyes of their owners, however in the case of Racing, the reverse is happening. You can check out a few pages of the first chapter at Amazon. The story is told with a first-person (or dog) narrative. Assuming Bomback and the director will aim to keep the perspective the same as it is in the novel, it’ll be interesting to see how they adapt this story.