'Dr. Dolittle' Is Getting A Remake, And There's A Load Of Hollywood Stars In It

February 7, 2018 16:02

The first Dr. Dolittle film was released in 1967. It was a musical and a much closer adaptation of the children’s books series written by Hugh Lofting. The film was not well received by critics. However, it won two Academy Awards and is still regarded as a cult-classic.

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The movie was about an animal doctor with a special gift. He could talk to animals and they could communicate with him as well. It starred British actor Rex Harrison playing the lead role.

Dr. Dolittle made a comeback in 1998. The new film was written by Larry Levin and Nat Mauldin. This time, the comedic actor Eddie Murphy played the lead role.

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The new version was a big hit in the cinemas and went on to birth four sequels. Dr. Dolittle 2 was released in cinema, but the subsequent films Dr. Dolittle 3: Tail to the Chief, and Million Dollar Mutts were direct-to-video.

2018 remake

Some critics still think it is a terrible idea making another Dr. Dolittle movie. But there is some indication that it might just turn out to be an awesome experience. A good number of popular names in Hollywood are making the rounds as possible cast members for the reboot.

Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr. is billed to play Dr. Dolittle in the new film. Other actors mentioned are Antonio Banderas, Emma Thompson, Michael Sheen, Ralph Fiennes, and Tom Holland.

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Details have not been revealed as to the role the other major players will have, but they are all expected to play different voices in the new film.

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Antonio Banderas will be playing the role of Rassouli the pirate.

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Michael Sheen plays Mudfly.

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The new film will be directed by Stephen Gaghan. He is not new to the Hollywood scene. In 2000, he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the movie Traffic.

There are more reboots coming up this year

It seems like 2018 is the year of remakes and reboots. Dr. Dolittle is joining a growing list of TV shows and films from the early years of television. Recently, CBS confirmed that they had commissioned 13 fresh episodes of the hit American TV series Murphy Brown.

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Candice Bergen played the titular role in the original series, and she will be making a comeback in the new series. Eddie Murphy is obviously not playing Dr. Dolittle in the new film, but it is possible he may make an appearance.

Dr. Dolittle (1998) raked in over $300 million from the box office. We can only imagine how much the new film will make.