Newton Arboretum and Capitol II Theatre roll out the red carpet for local Great Dane

Newton is not only home to two unique movie theaters, it is also home to two very unique movie stars. Joy the Mini-Pig may not star in any motion pictures, but she rules the Capitol II Theatre and serves as its official mascot. Now she has to share the spotlight with Bing the Great Dane, who does have some film cred.

Featured alongside actors Naomi Watts and Bill Murray in “The Friend,” Bing stars as Apollo, a Great Dane adopted by Watts’s character, Iris. The film has been screened at numerous film festivals and is due to be released in the United States this weekend. Capitol II Theatre will also have showtimes April 4-17.

Immediately following the screenings at 1 p.m. April 13 and 6 p.m. April 16 will be a Q&A session with Bing and his owner, Bev Klingensmith. Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens will also be hosting an exclusive fundraiser presentation at 1 p.m. April 19 about Bing’s journey to stardom.

Bing is already making the rounds promoting the movie. Klingensmith said they recently appeared on “Good Morning America,” “The View” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” all in one day; Bing was joined by his co-stars and author Sigrid Nunez, whose novel served as the source material for the film.

By the end of that long day, Klingensmith said Bing was exhausted.

“He is definitely ready to curl up on the hotel bed and take a good hard nap,” she said of the 6-year-old Great Dane, who she has raised since he was a puppy.

Unsurprisingly, traveling with a Great Dane has its challenges. Bleecker Street, the film company distributing “The Friend” to North America, rented Klingensmith and Bing a minivan to drive out to New York and have paid for their plane tickets to Los Angeles to promote the movie, which has certainly helped matters.

In addition to being a full-time “dogtographer,” Klingensmith also shows Great Danes at various American Kennel Club events. Which means she is used to traveling with dogs, but usually not for such a prolonged length of time. But Bing is taking the journey in stride, and he isn’t letting the fame get to his head.

Thankfully, Bing has not turned diva and still maintains his humble Midwestern roots. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t dish out an occasional “pawtograph.”

Klingensmith said, “He’s still pretty grounded!”