UM Alum's "Benji" Returns in New Movie on Netflix Today

When Ole Miss alumnus Joe Camp created the original movie, “Benji,” in 1974, success didn’t come easily. Every Hollywood studio refused the idea of a dog as a primary film character. 

But Camp wasn’t deterred. 
He directed and marketed the film himself for under $1 million. “Benji” received nearly $40 million in box-office receipts and became one of the top 10 films in 1974. And as for the cuddly, scruffy mutt, he has melted hearts of families across the nation ever since. 
Today, “Benji” makes its comeback as Netflix premieres the newest film of one of America’s most beloved pooches.  

“It’s a bit hard for me to realize that ‘Benji’ has not been out of the public eye for any of the 43 years since he was born,” Camp said. “This Friday, ‘Benji’ will dominate the big wrap-around in Times Square all day. I’m a proud papa.” 
Camp’s son Brandon has helped write/direct the new film. And much to Brandon’s dismay, he’s faced similar reactions to that of his father in the ’70s. 
Nobody was interested in adventure stories about shelter dogs, especially a pooch without superpowers. The Camps were even told they should do voiceovers to give the dog a voice. 
“What made Benji work in the first place is that he was an ordinary dog,” Brandon said. “He couldn’t talk. He definitely wanted to tell human beings that something was amiss but he didn’t have words, so he had to find other means of communications.