Dolittle's Return to the Screen
Dolittle is a literary icon that has spanned the lengths of entire generations and is making his return to the big screen. This time, the character is being portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., and cast alongside him is an ensemble cast including Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Harry Collett, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, Marion Cotillard, Jim Broadbent, Jessie Buckley, Frances de la Tour, Carmel Laniado, Jason Mantzoukas, Craig Robinson, and Kasia Smutniak. The film was directed by Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan who was also responsible for Syriana and Traffic. On top of that it is produced by Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum under their Roth/Kirschenbaum Films (Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent) and Susan Downey (Sherlock Holmes franchise, The Judge) for Team Downey. Robert Downey Jr. is also executively producing the movie.
With an ensemble cast and the amount of backing the movie has, it seems people are in for a well created film. As for the film itself, it is a reimagining of the classic tale of the man who can speak to animals. The film takes place in Queen Victoria’s England and sees the titular doctor and veterinarian having to find a cure for the young queen who has fallen ill. He must find a cure by searching for a mystical island, running into old adversaries and wonderous new animals. On his journey, he is joined by an apprentice and a coterie of animal friends.
(As Seen in the Official Trailer)
Other than the new film, we have a few Doctor Dolittle titles that already exist, the Eddie Murphy series and the original 1967 film of the same name. While the new film goes back to a previous time period like the original film, it is set up to stand out as an entirely different film. The movie will consist of characters with wildly different personalities. Therefore we can probably expect an interesting journey to result from this adventure-fantasy film. If you are looking forward to the film, it will be out in theaters on Friday January 17, 2020.