“A Dog’s Purpose” is a hit after all. The Lasse Hallstrom Universal film has made $43 million worldwide, cost just $22 million and will go on and on now. I’m sure all parties are relieved since the film almost died upon release. It was tarred and feathered by TMZ, which posted what now turns out to be a doctored video of animal abuse. The resulting outcry was so bad that Universal cancelled the movie’s junket and premiere.

The doctored video showed a trainer purportedly forcing a German Shepherd into a pool. PETA went crazy. I received dozens of emails and calls, and no doubt other venues got more. The 2nd Assistant Director’s head was being placed on a chopping block.

And now an independent investigation finds:

• The video was deliberately edited for the purpose of misleading the public and stoking outrage. In fact, the two scenes shown in the edited video were filmed at different times.
• The first video scene was stopped after the dog showed signs of stress. The dog was not forced to swim in the water at any time.
• A full spectrum of preparation and safety measures were in place, including the following:
  • Prior to shooting the scene, safety meetings were held to go over and reinforce safety precautions and protocols.
  • The dog was selected for his love of the water, and had been professionally trained and conditioned for the water scenes over the course of six weeks, using positive training techniques.
  • In addition to one of American Humane’s Certified Animal Safety Representatives, five experts—including safety specialists and animal handlers—were present to supervise and safeguard the dog throughout the water scene.
  • During the last scene, handlers immediately assisted the dog out of the water, at which point he was placed in a warming tent and received an examination that found no signs of stress. Eyewitnesses report that the dog wanted to go back in the water. Still, out of an abundance of caution, American Humane stopped filming of any more scenes with the dog.
• A veterinary checkup was performed last week at the request of American Humane, which confirmed that the dog is healthy.

Someone wanted “A Dog’s Purpose” to be a calamity and they used TMZ as a willing participant. That’s not hard since they don’t check anything, and are usually in cahoots with their sources. Was it another studio? And why? Why bother? But when that video turned up on TMZ 15 months after the movie was shot, it should have raised suspicions.

Certainly if the dog had been harmed, anyone who witnessed that “scene” would have called the authorities right away. But this video released timed to hurt the film and the people who made it. What I don’t understand is why, when the German Shepherd heard this story, he didn’t speak up right away.  Now we know he was barking up the wrong tree.

Damien Chazelle won the Directors Guild Award last night for “La La Land.” His Oscar, and the Best Picture Oscar, do seem inevitable now. The 31 year old wunderkind, whose previous film was the upstart favorite “Whiplash,” is on a roll. And considering how good the film is on every count, it’s all good news.

The other feature film winner last night was Garth Davis for “Lion,” for Best First Feature. “Lion” is still the underdog in this Oscar race. It’s only made $20 million, but with other awards and nominations, and terrific performances from Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel and little Sunny Pawar, “Lion” is the film to see this season. Everyone loves it.

Ezra Edelman won for Documentary for “OJ: Made in America,” the inevitable Oscar winner also.

In television, awards went to “The Night Of,” “Game of Thrones,” Tina Mabry for Children’s Programs, Saturday Night Live, the Tony Awards, and “Veep.” Kudos to Derek Cianfrance, whose movies include “Blue Valentine” and “The Place Beyond the Pines,” who won Best Commercial Director for a Nike Golf ad.

It’s not that long ago that Jeff Bridges won his Academy Award for “Crazy Heart,” directed by Scott Cooper. Maggie Gyllenhaal was his co-star and she was nominated for an Oscar as well. The pair proved to be a great success.

Now I can tell you that Bridges and Gyllenhaal will reunite soon to shoot a most unusual reunion. They will play famed architect Mies van der Rohe and his most well known client, Dr. Edith Farnsworth, a prominent Chicago nephrologist. In 1945, Dr. Farnsworth commissioned a glass house from van der Rohe, which he built outside of Chicago in Plano, Illinois.

The 1500 square foot, set on a 60 acre estate, is now a museum, considered an architectural masterpiece. It was placed in the National Register of Historic Homes in 2004.

van der Rohe and Farnsworth had a highly unusual relationship, apparently, with the house becoming the “child” in their marriage.

A source tells me: “Jeff and Maggie have been looking for another movie to do, and this script really appealed to them.”

I’m told the project is coming together quickly. In the meantime, Bridges is busy celebrating his Oscar nomination for “Hell or High Water.” Gyllenhaal is looking forward to her hot HBO series “The Deuce” with James Franco which will be unveiled in September.

more to come…