'Doctor Dolittle' Movie News: Robert Downey Jr. Announces Star-Studded Voice Cast for Upcoming Animated Film
Robert Downey Jr. revealed that he will be joined by a stellar roster of stars in "The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle."
The actor, more popularly known for his work on the "Iron Man" franchise as Tony Stark, announced the list of actors who will join him in lending their voices for the upcoming animated movie on his Twitter account.
The list includes "Silicon Valley" actor Kumail Nanjiani as the ostrich named Plimpton, "The Shape of Water" star Octavia Spencer as a duck named Dab-Dab, actor and former WWE champion John Cena as the polar bear named Yoshi, and "Mr. Robot" star Rami Malek as the gorilla named Chee-Chee. Also Joining the cast are "Sausage Party" comedian Craig Robinson as the mouse named Fleming, the "La Vie En Rose" star Marion Cotillard as the fox named Tutu, the three-time Olivier Award winner Frances de la Tour as Ginko-Who-Soars, as well as the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise star Carmen Ejogo as the lioness named Regine.
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The voice actors will join Downey in his live-action portrayal of Doctor Dolittle, alongside Antonio Banderas as Rassouli and Michael Sheen as Mudfly.
The film will also star Harry Collett as Tommy Stubbins as well as Jim Broadbent in a still undisclosed role.
Singer-actress Selena Gomez, Spider-Man star Tom Holland, Saving Mr. Banks star Emma Thompson, and British actor and director Ralph Fiennes were also previously cast as the giraffe named Betsy, the dog named Jip, the parrot named Polynesia, and the tiger named Barry, respectively.
The Hollywood Reporter first announced that Downey Jr. will lead the cast of the new adaptation of the children's book saga of the same title written by Hugh Lofting in the 1920s.
This is not the first time that the children's book will be adapted in the big screen. In 1967, a movie titled "Doctor Dolittle" starring Rex Harrison was released. The musical film was directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Leslie Bricusse. The film was nominated for an Oscar for the Best Picture category and won the Best Original Song and Visual Effects award.
The second version starring Eddie Murphy was released in 1998 under 20th Century Fox. The Betty Thomas-directed film received mixed reviews from critics, but it became a huge hit at the box office. This prompted the film to generate four sequels, including "Dr. Dolittle 2" in 2001, "Dr. Dolittle 3" which starred Kyla Pratt in 2006, "Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief" in 2008, and 2009's "Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts." The last three films were direct-to-DVD releases.
Little is known about the plot for the new feature adaptation of "The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle," but Universal Pictures reportedly started the principal production for the movie in February this year.
The film is expected to debut in cinemas on May 24, 2019, but a report from Deadline claimed that Universal Pictures could still change the film's release date to avoid the opening of Disney Film's "Star Wars: Episode IX."
More details about "The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle" animated film are expected to be released as the production continues.
