Doctor Dolittle Reboot Set To Star Robert Downey Jr.

03/20/2017 02:50 pm EDT

Few movie stars have the amount of box office success as Robert Downey Jr., a literal comeback kid, and now he's shifting his star power to revive a much beloved franchise.

Downey Jr. has signed on to star in the Voyage of Doctor Dolittle from Universal Pictures, being the third actor to talk to animals in the title role in the wake of Eddie Murphy and Rex Harrison.

Doctor Dolittle was created in the 1920s as a Victorian-era physician who could speak to animals. The star of many children's books, the story was then adapted for a musical film in 1967, and a series of family comedies in 1998 and 2001. 



Stephen Gaghan is set to direct, who has written Academy Award-winning film Traffic and wrote and directed the acclaimed George Clooney-starring film Syriana. This is the director's first children and/or family film.

Downey Jr. will next appear as Tony Stark AKA Iron Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 7, and again in next year's Avengers: Infinity War which is currently in production. A third Sherlock Holmes movie has been announced starring Downey Jr., but little is known about the film's status other than the intention to make the movie.

The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle will be produced by Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum, and Susan Downey. There's no word on a planned release date at this point.

You won't be able to see Downey Jr. talk to animals for a while, but you'll be able to watch the actor mentor a Spider when Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters.

More Spider-Man: Homecoming News: Will Venom Show Up In Spider-Man: Homecoming? / Reshoots Begin / Iron Man's New Armor / Tom Holland Meets Andrew Garfield

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, a young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

The cast includes Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, with Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr. It also includes Jon Favreau, Martin Starr, Kenneth Choi, Michael Mando, Selenis Leyva, Isabella Amara, Jorge Lendeborg, Jr., JJ Totah, Hannibal Buress, and Jacob Batalon.

Spider-Man: Homecoming directed by Jon Watts (Cop Car), based on a screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley (Vacation reboot) and Jon Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers.

Spider-Man: Homecoming opens in theaters July 7, 2017.

[h/t] Variety

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