Outside of his MCU stardom, Robert Downey Jr. has had mixed results with his recent movies. And Dolittle, which has been through a few production issues and at least one release date change, might face an uphill struggle to reverse that trend. Still, judge for yourself from the first trailer.
After losing his wife seven years earlier, the eccentric Dr. John Dolittle (RDJ), famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria’s England, hermits himself away behind the high walls of Dolittle Manor with only his menagerie of exotic animals for company. But when the young queen (Jessie Buckley) falls gravely ill, a reluctant Dolittle is forced to set sail on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure, regaining his wit and courage as he crosses old adversaries and discovers wondrous creatures.
The doctor is joined on his quest by a young, self-appointed apprentice (Harry Collett) and a raucous coterie of animal friends, including an anxious gorilla (Rami Malek), an enthusiastic but bird-brained duck (Octavia Spencer), a bickering duo of a cynical ostrich (Kumail Nanjiani) and an upbeat polar bear (John Cena) and a headstrong parrot (Emma Thompson), who serves as Dolittle’s most trusted advisor and confidante.
Downey Jr.'s stab at a Welsh accent may not go down well in some quarters, and it's certainly not the most original-looking film. But we'll wait and see, especially when the cast also includes Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Marion Cotillard, Carmen Ejogo, Ralph Fiennes, Tom Holland (please let him deliver a joke about dust somewhere) and Selena Gomez.
Dolittle will be out in the States on 17 January and the UK on 7 February.