TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City is about to become a Netflix screen star. The town provides the backdrop for a heartwarming story of love and adversity in the original holiday movie “A Dog’s Perfect Christmas.”
The film is adapted from Bruce Cameron’s novel of the same name. The number No. 1 New York Bestselling author born in Petoskey has penned more than 30 dog-centric novels.
The new movie adds to Cameron’s collection of books adapted for the screen, including “A Dog’s Purpose,” “A Dog’s Journey” and a “Dog’s Way Home.”
Filming of the feature movie is underway in Vancouver, Canada. It’s scheduled for release in late 2026. The cast includes Dennis Quaid, Mary Steenburgen, Jennifer Tilly, Milo Ventomiglia, Brooke Lena Jihnson and Kathleen Rose Perkins.
The northern Michigan man spent his childhood summers at his grandparents’ home on Holy Island in Lake Charlevoix, which he now owns. Following his college graduation in the late 1970s, he spent three years living and working in Traverse City.
Despite being a long-time Los Angeles resident, Cameron has continued to honor his northern Michigan roots. He was a guest author at the National Writers Series in 2017. In 2024 he appeared in a Leelanau County fundraiser for PoWeR! Book Bags and a screening of “A Dog’s Journey.”
He now brings his affinity for the region to movie audiences.
“I wanted to put Traverse City on the map and for people outside of Michigan to know what a wonderful home it is,” he said. “I built it all on my knowledge of the area.”
Local audiences will detect how Cameron uses a degree of poetic license in film settings, like creating a fictional Traverse City North High School. But the imagined elements support a reality he aims to communicate.
“In Traverse City, everybody blends together because they have one thing in common – love of the North,” he said. “I hope this comes through in the movie.”
Locals have the opportunity to contribute to the Netflix feature. Cameron is soliciting B roll footage in high resolution formats for background use.
“I would love to have shots of Traverse City to populate the movie,” he said. “That’s really important to me.”
Cameron seeks footage of area landmarks, late fall or early winter scenes with rain, falling snow, day, night or drone shots. Footage may be submitted to brucetcvideos@gmail.com. Suitable film will be forwarded to the production company. If selected, the company would make an offer to the videographer to purchase all rights.
The holiday story unfolds as an all-American family faces crisis. The family is brought together by a stray puppy who deepens family bonds inspiring a “perfect Christmas.”
Three 16-week-old corgi puppies play the heroine Ruby. Winstead, a wise basset hound, narrates the developing family drama.
Cameron said the film reflects the fact that lead actor Quaid is very much a dog person. “Dennis brought his bulldog Peaches on set. He loves his dogs,” he said. “He told me he wanted to be in every dog movie I made.” So far, that’s three.
“A Dog’s Perfect Christmas” screenplay is co-written by Cameron and wife Cathryn Michon. Michon also directs the film for the Burbank-based Fezziwig Studios.
Check out a copy of the book from Traverse City District Library for a sneak peek of the film story line.
The library collection includes 15 of Cameron’s titles. Melissa McKenna, library Assistant Director for Outreach & Adult Services, said the release of the Netflix film will likely prompt new demand for Cameron’s dog tales.
“People love to read about where they live from another point of view,” McKenna said.
Find more local color in the author’s titles, “The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man” and “Repo Madness.” The adventure series set in Kalkaska provides account of a young man and his dog. Both titles are available through the Traverse library system.