Robert Downey Jr. has landed himself the role of Doctor Dolittle!
The “Iron Man” star will be starring as the title character of Universal Picture’s “The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle”, a film based on Hugh Lofting’s children’s book series that was published in the 1920s.
Besides that, Stephen Gaghan (of “Traffic” fame) is attached to direct and rewrite a Tom Shepherd script. Joe Roth (from “The Huntsman: Winter’s War”) and Jeff Kirschenbaum will produce under Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, alongside Susan Downey (Robert’s wife) from Team Downey.
According to a Deadline report, Universal Pictures beat out several big studios to get the film rights. Their competitors include 20th Century Fox and Sony.
Lofting’s lovable character was first portrayed by Rex Harrison in the 1967 musical, “Doctor Dolittle”. Directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Leslie Bricusse, the film was based on 3 books – “The Story of Doctor Dolittle”, “The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle”, and “Doctor Dolittle’s Circus”. The story centres on Doctor John Dolittle, an eccentric former physician who can communicate with animals.
In 1998, another movie adaption surfaced. The comedy, titled “Dr. Dolittle”, starred Eddie Murphy as the title character. The franchise produced 4 sequels including “Dr. Dolittle 2”, “Dr. Dolittle 3”, “Tail to the Chief”, and “Million Dollar Mutts”.
Are you guys excited to see Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Dolittle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below!
Sources: Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Coming Soon.
