Alright, let’s do this. Let’s look at that Dolittle trailer.
It’s certainly a take on Dr. Dolittle, and not one that is particularly original. Gritty, serious spins on beloved characters have been in for over a decade, and from the looks of this trailer, that’s exactly what they’re doing here. Because you can’t just have a happy doctor who talks to animals, oh no. He must be scarred and in need of a grand adventure to heal his psyche, with his talking duck in tow. Really, I don’t know how they’re going to get this to play seriously, but they seem to be giving it the old college try.
In charge of somehow making it work is co-writer and director Stephen Gaghan, who’s directing background doesn’t exactly engender confidence. Gold and Syriana are considered solid, but they’re not at all like what he’s attempting here. His writing chops are more stable, having won an Oscar for penning Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic, but again, that’s not at all like Dolittle’s weirdness.
At least we’ve got Robert Downey Jr. as the titular doctor, who should be able to flip between the film’s comedic and dramatic elements. And that voice cast (presumably of the animals) is simply to die for. Really, who knows what we’re going to get with Dolittle. It could very well be a train wreck, but then again, it may just surprise everyone.
Dolittle is directed by Stephen Gaghan and stars Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas, and Michael Sheen. It will be released in the US on January 17th, 2020 and in the UK on February 7th, 2020. For international release dates, click here.
How do you think this will turn out? Let us know in the comments!
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