LOS ANGELES — This weekend's premiere of A Dog's Purpose has been canceled after the release of a video that appears to show a frightened dog being forced into churning water during production of the film.
TMZ published video Wednesday that shows a man struggling to put a dog into a pool of rushing water while the dog continually fights to stay out.
Producer Amblin Entertainment and distributor Universal Pictures haven't disputed the authenticity of the footage.
They say in a joint statement that Universal decided to cancel the premiere because Amblin's review of the video "is still ongoing." The statement says the companies have been assured the German shepherd wasn't harmed.
The companies say the film will be released nationwide as scheduled Jan. 27.