winterdance huskies in guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein
Bringing the 1800's Arctic to life with our sled dogs - our huskies biggest film yet.
Fall of 2023 we received a call from Bird's & Animals that they wanted to fly a trainer up from Hollywood to take pictures of our huskies for consideration in a film. What we didn't know for several more months was that film was Netflix and director Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein. He was looking for sled dogs that looked like they belonged in the 1800's arctic.
ThE SLED DOG SCENE
The main sledding sequence (which has gone viral with Oscar Isaac's great line "slay - Literally) was filmed in North Bay, Ontario. The lead dogs were Piper and Stirling with Zen, Satori, Sydney, Neptune, Tolkay, and Spidey. Additional huskies on set included Angus, Hulk, Roo, Captain, and Natasha. Neptune, the oldest dog on set was selected for the close-up moment with Victor,
FILMING LOCATIONS
Along with the North Bay sledding scene, our huskies were also on location at Netflix Studios Toronto and Black Creek Pioneer Village. Each location went to every possible length to make sure the dogs were happy and supported in every way.
HANK AS OSCAR ISAAC’S STUNT DOUBLE
With over 30 years and thousands of miles on the back of a dogsled Hank served as Oscar Isaac’s stunt double for the technical sled work and movement sequences. Hank and our son Logan were also cast as sailors in one of the ship scenes so they could be with the dogs at the burning tent while the rest of the sailors went off to look for Victor.
A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE FOR WINTERDANCE
Our huskies have appeared in commercials, hallmark christmas movies and media for years, but Frankenstein marks the largest film project we have ever been part of. The artistry, passion and scale of this Netflix production made it an experience none of us will ever forget and beyond honoured to have played a small role in it's creation.
MEET THE HUSKIES FROM THE FILM
All of the dogs featured in Frankenstein still run and train with us every day. Guests can meet them on our winter dogsled tours. We hope to welcome you this winter!