Cane Corsos weren’t used in film and television like Dobermans, Bulldogs, or German Shepherds. It’s probably because Corsos weren’t as popular, but from being unrecognized as a dog breed just 12 years ago to claiming the 21st spot in AKC’s most popular dog breeds in 2021, Cane Corsos have come a long way.

This surge in popularity is growing even on the big screen, prompting the Cane Corso to be acknowledged by the Film industry and getting the chance to show off their majestic character even in major TV Series like Game of Thrones.

Cane Corso in Movies & TV Shows

TV Shows

1. Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
2. The Borgias (2011-2013)
3. The Blacklist (2013- )
4. Atlanta (2016- )

Movies

1. Colombiana (2011)
2. Becky (2020)
3. Kala (2021)
4. Hotel for Dogs (2009)

Spoiler Alert:
The following text contains minor and major spoilers.
You can also check out the Cane Corso in Movies & TV Shows IMDb list.

TV Shows

1. Game of Thrones

The bastard’s girls is the name of Ramsy Snow’s pack of hunting dogs comprised of all female Cane Corsos, hence the nickname. The bastard’s girls were first introduced in Season 4; Episode 2 when they hunt down Tansy, a serving girl in the Dreadfort. As the hounds are chasing her, Ramsay and Myranda fire shots at her with their bows, eventually wounding her and letting the dogs devour her.

In modern times Cane Corsos are not used for hunting, but they are still very athletic. They are fast runners, have great agility, and can jump surprisingly high. In total, the pack of Cane Corsos called the bastard’s girls made an appearance in 6 episodes across 3 seasons while playing a major role in the Battle of the Bastards.

After being defeated, Ramsay is taken into custody and locked in the kennel with his hounds. Despite being confident that his dogs are loyal to him, Sansa reminds him that he has not fed them for seven days, and eventually the hounds’ hunger overcame them as they savagely put an end to Ramsey Snow by devouring him alive.

2. The Borgias

The premiere of the second season of “The Borgias” delighted Cane Corso owners as they got to see their breed on the big screen.

The Borgias is a historical drama set in the 15th century Italian Renaissance that follows the rise of the Borgia family to the top of the Catholic Church and depicts their struggle to maintain their power.

The first episode of Season 2, shows a pack of war dogs accompanying Roman soldiers on a manhunt. The dogs used for that scene were non-other than Cane Corsos. I was delighted when I saw it because Cane Corsos are descendants of Roman war dogs and are the perfect and most accurate fit for the role.

The show used six Cane Corsos, all of them either black or grey coated and ear-cropped. While the pack looked historically accurate when accompanying chain-mailed soldiers, getting the 21st-century dogs to perform like their Roman ancestors took a bit of work and training.

3. The Blacklist

The Blacklist’s Number 161 most wanted, a gruesome hitman known as the Stewmaker is the main antagonist of Season 1; Episode 4. The episode starts with Stewmaker booking a motel room with his dog, which is a Cane Corso. Once in the room, the dog waits patiently on the bed while he is covering the walls and furniture in plastic sheeting to prepare for his next killing.

The Stewmaker’s Cane Corso doesn’t do much in the episode, he is just chilling, laying around, and he isn’t being used to help in Stewmakers sick murders. On the contrary, a hair left by the dog at the motel is how Red will track down and put an end to The Stewmaker.

4. Atlanta

The series follows Earn, a college dropout that needs to find a way to make some money. All the while trying to balance his relationship with his ex-girlfriend and their daughter.

In episode 4 of the first season, Earn needs money to put some food on the table, so his friend Darius takes him to a pawn shop to trade in his smartphone for around $200. But Darius notices a sword and convinces Earn to trade the phone for the sword and not the cash.

Darius trades the sword for a Cane Corso from one of his acquaintances. They proceed to sell the dog to a breeder to mate it with his own Cane Corso, but Darius didn’t explain to Earn that they won’t get the money until a couple of months when the breeder sells his puppies.

Earn then loses his cool and produces one of the show’s most real moments. “I’m actually kind of broken,” he says. “See, I’m poor, Darius, OK? And poor people don’t have time for investments, because poor people are too busy trying not to be poor, OK? I need to eat today, not in September!”

Movies

1. Colombiana (2011)

When Cataleya witnesses her parents’ death as a little girl, she goes on to become an expert assassin and sets out to seek revenge against the culprits. Apart from the kick-ass scandalous blend of action, sex, and violence, Cataleya has her two loyal Cane Corsos that provide major help in her missions.

Cataleya took down all names on her list but one, she needed to kill the Don Luis Sandoval, the one who ordered for her parents to be killed. While regularly feeding her beloved dogs, she had an idea and devised a vicious plan.

In the final showdown, Don Luis Sandoval is about to escape in his get-away van, he is met with a terrible fate as it was all a part of Cataleyas plan. She previously “planted” her Corsos in said van, and over the phone, she gives them the command to “eat” Don Luis.

2. Becky (2020)

Becky is one of the two movies I found where a Cane Corso is featured in the movie poster. It’s a Cane Corso named Diego, the best friend of the main character Becky, a 13-year old spunky and rebellious girl who tries to reconnect with her father during a weekend getaway at a lakefront house.

Becky was a bullied high school student whose mother passed away a year earlier, and the weekend at the lake house was ruined for Becky when her father brought his new girlfriend with them. Hurt, Becky runs out of the house to her small wood fort in the woods followed by her beloved Cane Corso, Diego.

Furthermore, the trip soon takes a dark turn when convicts on the run, led by the merciless Dominick, suddenly invade the home. Becky defends her home in an adult and gruesome version of Home Alone.

3. Kala (2021)

Kala is the second movie with a Cane Corso in the movie poster that I found. Kala is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language psychological action thriller film. A beautifully crafted survival story that also packs in social commentary, a dysfunctional family dynamic, and relentless violence.

The Cane Corso named Bazigar in the movie was not a random choice. Actor Tovino Thomas, who plays the main character Shaji is, in fact, the one who selected the breed for the movie.

He says that his friend who runs a dog training academy introduced him to the breed during the lockdown, and he was so impressed with the Cane Corso that he insisted to the movie director that they should cast a Cane Corso as the dog that plays a major role in the movie.

4. Hotel for Dogs (2009)

The movie features a Doberman, Border Collie, Poodle, Pug, Bulldog, Bullmastiff, French Bulldog, Chihuahua, Schnauzer, Cane Corso, and many others.

Hotel for Dogs is an American family comedy based on the 1971 novel of the same name. The plot of the movie is as the name suggests, two kids secretly take in stray dogs at a vacant hotel and are trying to get it in a decent state to accommodate the dogs.

Final Words

In most of these movies and TV shows, Cane Corsos are represented as brutal and aggressive killers, but in reality, Cane Corsos are loving and affectionate. While it’s true that they are protective and have a natural guardian instinct, they are easily trainable, and if raised right, they are great family dogs.

If you liked this post, you should check out our list of celebrities with Cane Corsos. You may be surprised by who is on the list.