‘Benji’ Movie Opens this Summer!

Benji™ has starred in four motion pictures, three of which have grossed within the coveted top 10% of motion picture grosses for the year of release. 71,000,000 people, more than half of them adults, have watched Benji in movie theaters.

"Benji: Off The Leash!" opens August 20th in theaters nationwide. The 3 1/2-year-old female star of the movie wandered the streets Pass Christian, Mississippi before being picked up by county animal control. In November, 2001, she was adopted by Benji creator Joe Camp, and, after competing for a little less than a month with dogs from Chicago and Los Angeles ultimately became the new Benji. In the Spring of 2003, she began filming her first theatrical motion picture with most of the weight of the movie on her back… so there's a lot to be absorbed.

While the plot is similar to Benji's real life struggles, the movie strives for humor. Benji, who plays a male in the movie, is given a comical sidekick dog to make his journey more entertaining. Benji's creator, Joe Camp, calls the new Benji the very best ever! Between sessions with trainer Anne Gordon, the new Benji has spent three weeks in Camp's family home with his wife Kathleen and his three step-children. "This is one amazing dog," says Camp. "Those eyes simply melt everyone she comes in contact with, and she is absolutely the brightest of some very bright predecessors. She picks things up so fast it'll make your head swim. And you can literally drop her into any situation and she feels perfectly comfortable, perfectly confident in herself to deal with it."

Here are some facts about Benji:

For more information, go to www.Benjireturns.com.