WithRobert Downey Jr.returning as Iron Man inAvengers: Infinity Warnext year, and anotherSherlock Holmesmovie in the works, the actor has still found time to pick up yet another potential franchise. Universal Pictures has landed the rights toDoctor Dolittle, bringingRobert Downey Jr.in as the title character in a new project entitledThe Voyage of Doctor Dolittle. The studio picked up the rights to this franchise in a competitive bidding situation, with a number of studios vying for this film package last week.
The Hollywood Reporterreveals thatStephen Gaghan(Gold) has signed on direct and write the script, which had an earlier draft written byTom Shepherd. The story will be based on the series of children’s books byHugh Lofting, which followed the title character who could speak with animals. The book series kicked off in 1920 withDoctor Dolittle, and was followed byThe Voyages of Doctor Dolittlein 1922. It wasn’t specifically mentioned if this movie will be a direct adaptation of the second novel, or if the film will take elements from several of the books.
The firstDoctor Dolittlemovie debuted in 1967, starringRex Harrisonas the title character, which won twoOscar awardsfor Best Original Song and Best Special Effects, and it was also nominated for Best Picture. The franchise then shifted to the small screen, with a short-lived animated TV series, withBob Holtvoicing Dr. John Dolittle. The franchise was dormant for nearly 30 years, untilEddie Murphystarred inDoctor Dolittle, which was a big hit, earning $144.1 million domestic and $294.4 million worldwide.Eddie Murphyreturned for the sequel,Dr. Dolittle 2in 2001, although it didn’t fare quite as well, earning $112.9 million domestic and $176.1 million worldwide, from a $70 million budget.
The next few movies went the straight-to-video route, withDr. Dolittle 3debuting in 2006, starringKyla Pratt, reprising her role from the first two movies as Maya Dolittle, the daughter of Dr. John Dolittle. She also starred in 2008’sDr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chiefand 2009’sDr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts. TheHugh LoftingbookThe Voyages of Doctor Dolittlewon the prestigiousNewberry Medalin 1923, and part of this story was used in the original 1967 film, which was also adapted fromThe Story of Doctor DolittleandDoctor Dolittle’s Circus.Hugh Loftingwrote 12Doctor Dolittlebooks in total, the last two of which were volumes of short pieces that were published after his death in 1947.
No production schedule or release date was given forThe Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, but withRobert Downey Jr.signing on to star, thisupcoming adaptationmay be moving forward sooner rather than later.Robert Downey Jr.is currently shootingAvengers: Infinity War, and it isn’t clear what the actor plans on tackling next, once he finishes filming bothAvengers: Infinity Warand the untitledAvengerssequel, which are both shooting back-to-back. The actor is also set to reprise his title role inSherlock Holmes 3, and he will next be seen on the big screen as Tony Stark/Iron Man in this summer’sSpider-Man: Homecoming, arriving in theaters July 7.
