Robert Downey Jr. is setting off on a new and exciting journey after his curtain call as fan-favorite Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The former Iron Man star will be the newest actor to take on the mantle of the film’s titular character Dr. John Dolittle, an eccentric veterinarian that has the ability to innately communicate with animals.
The re-imagining of this classic film by Universal Studios takes on a different twist compared to its previous iteration which starred Eddie Murphy during the late 90s-early 2000s. The story takes on a more adventurous and whimsical approach compared the previous film series where it revolved around(at that time) a more modern setting peppered with comedy, with Murphy as its centerpiece. The film also seems to have pulled off some inspiration from the original 1967 Rex Harrison film which was set in early Victorian England.
The trailer with the accompaniment of “It’s a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong was dropped by Universal Studios on their YouTube page just this Wednesday (October 14th) with Downey Jr. having the tagline:
“We have no choice but to embark on this perilous journey,”
Leading to the notion that while the story might be full of fun and adventure, it will definitely have some darker undertones to it given that they have the producer of Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent on board in its period themed landscape.
Downey Jr. goes front and center as the famous doctor partakes on a quest to find a cure for the gravely ill Queen of England alongside his animal companions. This adventure takes them on a thrilling roller coaster ride filled with humor, danger, inner-conflict, and heartfelt lessons along the way.
Robert Downey Jr. leads a stellar cast of big names like Antonio Banderas and Michael Sheen, accompanied by amazing voice work from Tom Holland, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Selena Gomez, Ralph Feinnes, John Cena, Craig Robinson, Marion Cotillard, and Kumail Nanjiani among others.
Stephen Gaghan of “Traffic” and “Syriana” fame directed the film alongside Susan Downey, Joe Roth, and Jeff Kirschenbaum as producers. Gaghan also co-wrote the screenplay with John Whittington.
Having undergone several changes like moving the premiere from the original April 12, 2019 release date, renaming the film to only “Dolittle” from the original concept “The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle”, to the alleged production issues leaked by an anonymous member of its production, audiences can finally look forward to watching the family-friendly adventure film January of next year.
“Dolittle” will hit the theaters Jan. 17, 2020. You can watch the trailer below.