Marketing continues for Dolittle with the release of an odd advertisement featuring Robert Downey Jr. mediating a dispute between two NFL mascots. On the heels of the release of the first Dolittle trailer, Universal Picture is slowly ramping up their promotional efforts for their January 2020 release directed by Stephen Gaghan. This is Downey's first big screen role after wrapping up his 11-year run as the front man of the MCU as Tony Stark/Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame.
Debuting in the 1920s book, The Story of Doctor Dolittle, there have been various iterations of the character in other forms of media - the most memorable of which was Eddie Murphy's late '90s version. Plot specifics are still scant at the moment for the upcoming Dolittle (which is a recent title change from The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle). But with a star-studded supporting cast voicing the animals with which Dr. John Dolittle interacts, not to mention the mass appeal of Downey himself, many are understandably looking forward to the film.
Shared by Downey on his official Twitter account is a bizarre video of the actor playing mediator between the arguing mascots of NFL teams the Los Angeles Rams (Rampage) and Atlanta Falcons (Freddie). Of course, the hook here is that the actor, like his Dolittle character, can communicate with animals. It looks so ridiculous, but it's clear that everyone in the scene was committed to their respective roles. Check it out below:
Dolittle has a massive budget of $175 million, implying that Universal Pictures has high hopes that like what he did with the MCU, Downey can kick start another cinematic universe in Dolittle. But with rumors of a tumultuous production that includes major reshoots back in spring, fans are getting worried about the project. Of course, additional work doesn't always mean that a project is in jeopardy, but couple that with the lukewarm reception to its first trailer and the growing concerns may have merit in this situation. Hopefully, things work for the better as it would be such a shame for Downey to follow his MCU legacy with a failed venture.
In any case, the release of this marketing material is an indication of a couple of things in regard to how Universal Pictures is planning to handle Dolittle leading up to its release. The marketing campaign for the movie will slowly gear up in the next several months to drum up hype for its release early next year. And they are going to take advantage of Downey's popularity following his MCU run and use it to effectively sell the film.
Source: Robert Downey Jr./Twitter
