The newest trailer for Dolittle sees Robert Downey Jr. fighting a dragon. Directed by Stephen Gaghan, Dolittle is the latest film adaptation of the popular series of Dr. Dolittle books written by Hugh Lofting beginning in the 1920s. The most famous of these adaptations was of course the 1967 movie starring Rex Harrison, though there have been other attempts to translate the stories into various media, including a series of films that began with 1998’s Dr. Dolittle starring Eddie Murphy.
After Harrison and Murphy’s portrayals of the titular Dolittle, an eccentric doctor who can communicate with animals, current massive star Downey will next take a stab at bringing the character to life on the big screen. Of course, this being 2020, CGI figures heavily into the new Dolittle film, as Gaghan and company use all the current tricks of the trade to bring the story’s menagerie of animal characters to life. The vocal talent behind the talking CGI beasts in this film is truly impressive, with a cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Marion Cotillard, Antonio Banderas, Octavia Spencer, Rami Malek, Michael Sheen, Selena Gomez, Tom Holland, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani and many more.
The first official trailer for Dolittle hit way back in October (around which time it was revealed that the film had undergone a title change from the original cumbersome The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle) and now Universal has dropped another clip highlighting Downey’s colorful lead performance as well as the movie’s huge cast of animal stars. See the new trailer in the space below:
Like the first Dolittle trailer that dropped in October, the new clip sports an epic feel, and is dominated by a big, lush version of Louis Armstrong’s "What a Wonderful World" performed by the Canadian folk rock group Reuben and the Dark. There is of course plenty of Downey playing the oddball scientist, a role he knows very well after portraying Tony Stark in multiple MCU films over the course of a decade. Perhaps surprisingly for a movie about Dr. Dolittle, there is also a lot of big action.
Then again, perhaps it’s not so surprising that this version of Dolittle is so action-packed, given that this is 2020. The second trailer indeed features even more outright action than the original clip, including an entire new piece of footage in which Dolittle and his animal friends encounter a dragon. Dragons of course are a frequent presence in epic fantasy movies and TV shows, most notably Game of Thrones, but Dr. Dolittle itself doesn’t necessarily stand out as the kind of fantasy that would include such mythological beasts. Then again, the story already features a man who can literally talk to animals, so perhaps it’s not such a huge stretch to include a dragon. Even with that said, the arrival of the dragon at the end of the trailer does seem a little desperate, like the studio isn’t quite sure how to sell Dolittle and is hoping GoT and Lord of the Rings fans will be drawn in by a little fire-breathing.
Source: Universal Pictures
