Universal Pictures has released the first trailer for Dolittle, starring Robert Downey Jr as the title character.
Previously named The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, the project is the latest film adaptation of Hugh Lofting's book series about a doctor with ability to speak to animals. The 2020 movie will follow the eccentric and reclusive veterinarian as he sets out on a journey to find a cure for a young Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley).
Per the Dolittle synopsis:
The doctor is joined on his quest by a young, self-appointed apprentice (Dunkirk’s Harry Collett) and a raucous coterie of animal friends, including an anxious gorilla (Oscar winner Rami Malek), an enthusiastic but bird-brained duck (Oscar® winner Octavia Spencer), a bickering duo of a cynical ostrich (The Big Sick’s Kumail Nanjiani) and an upbeat polar bear (John Cena, Bumblebee) and a headstrong parrot (Oscar winner Emma Thompson), who serves as Dolittle’s most trusted advisor and confidante.
The film, directed by Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan, was originally scheduled to release on April 12, 2019, but was pushed back for revisions. It is now slated to hit U.S. theaters on Jan. 17, 2020, on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.
"I’ve been talking to animals for years now," Downey wrote on Instagram Sunday. "And they finally started talking back. Does this mean I was getting the silent treatment? Please enjoy ... the trailer for #DolittleMovie."
You can check out the new trailer above. The film also stars Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, and Downey's Avengers co-star Tom Holland, who voices Jip the dog.
