It’s official! Robert Downey Jr. will finally be returning to the big screen! Universal Studios announced the new film, Dolittle, this past Saturday evening and it is planned to hit theaters in Jan 2020. The Hollywood star, known best for his role as Iron Man, will be trading in his metal-clad suit for ragged button-downs. A rag-tag team of animals big and small is replacing his former sidekicks, Bruce Banner and Black Widow.
Once Downey’s character, Ironman, dealt with a heart-wrenching exit from Marvel Studios and his onscreen death was over, fans were clamoring to get details about the acclaimed actor’s next big project. There was speculation that he might reprise his role as Sherlock Holmes in the next year. However, according to Variety, the Holmes franchise and its third movie will be pushed back until 2021. On the bright side, Dolittle, arriving a year sooner, will be a fantastical comedy full of adventure and fun.Robert Downey Jr. will not be the only major star joining the new film, as he is bringing an avenger with him! Tom Holland, aka Spiderman, will once again be by Downey’s side as he becomes the voice of Jip, a dog. Dolittle’s unique talent for communicating with animals allows for a large cast of furry and feathered friends with varying talents and personalities. Voices of these animals include:
- John Cena as Yoshi, a happy-go-lucky polar bear
- Selena Gomez plays Betsy, a giraffe
- Rami Malek is Chee-Chee, an adorably sensitive Gorilla
- Octavia Spencer becomes Dab-Dab, a duck
- Kumail Nanjani as Plimpton, an ostrich
- Craig Robinson, aka Darryl from The Office, is Fleming, a mouse
- Emma Thompson becomes Polynesia, a parrot and right-hand to Dolittle
- and more!
This film will be the third rendition of the Doctor Dolittle character following the first Doctor Dolittle, released in 1967, and the 1998 version starring Eddie Murphy, which were both distributed by 20th Century Fox. This will be the first time that a Dolittle movie will be distributed by a different studio, Universal. Stephen Gaghan is directing the film and Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Robert Downey’s wife, Susan Downey are the producers.
We don’t know what the 2020 Dolittle will be about but we can safely assume Dolittle and his animal friends will have to work together and overcome any obstacles they may face. The trailer of the film was just released this past Sunday afternoon, and it is very clear that the number of special effects and animation vastly outweighs that of the past two films. Furthermore, unlike Murphy’s edition of Dolittle, which was set in relatively the same time period as the film came out, Downey’s time period is unknown. The trailer shows Downey and others sailing on the ocean fleeing a large, artillery firing ship, a beautiful island with foreign architecture and of course, a captivating montage of scenes between the star and his companions.
Check out the official trailer for yourself!
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