Dolittle (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dolittle |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Stephen Gaghan |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Thomas Shepherd |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Danny Elfman |
| Cinematography | Guillermo Navarro |
| Editing by |
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| Studio |
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | January 17, 2020 (United States) |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $175 million |
| Money made | $251.4 million |
Dolittle is a fun fantasy adventure movie from 2020. It's based on the classic books about Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting. The film tells the story of a special doctor who can talk to animals! Robert Downey Jr. plays Dr. John Dolittle, and many famous actors lend their voices to the amazing animal characters.
The movie was directed by Stephen Gaghan. It's a new take on the Doctor Dolittle stories, bringing the beloved characters to life with modern special effects.
Contents
The Story of Dolittle
The movie starts in Victorian era Britain. Dr. John Dolittle is a veterinarian who has a secret: he can understand and speak with animals. After his wife, Lily, passes away, Dolittle becomes very sad and decides to live alone with only his animal friends.
One day, a young boy named Tommy Stubbins accidentally hurts a squirrel named Kevin. Tommy is guided by Polynesia, a wise macaw, to Dolittle's home for help.
A Royal Mission
Soon after, Queen Victoria herself asks Dolittle for help. She is very sick, and Dolittle is the only one who can find a cure. At first, he doesn't want to go, but Polynesia convinces him that he needs to help people again.
Dolittle discovers the Queen has been poisoned. The only cure is a magical fruit called the fruit of Eden, which grows on a faraway island. This island is also where Dolittle's wife, Lily, was born.
The Grand Adventure Begins
Tommy decides to join Dolittle's journey. Their crew includes many unique animals:
- Kevin the red squirrel
- Elliot and Elsie the monkeys
- Chee-Chee the brave gorilla
- Yoshi the polar bear
- Plimpton the ostrich
- Dab-Dab the duck
- Mini the sugar glider
- Betsy the giraffe
- Tutu the fox
They set sail on an exciting adventure to find the cure. But they must also avoid Dolittle's old rival, Dr. Blair Müdfly, who tries to stop them. Dolittle leaves his dog Jip and a walking stick named Sticks behind to guard the Queen.
Challenges and Discoveries
During their journey, Müdfly attacks Dolittle's boat. The crew escapes with the help of a friendly whale. They finally reach Lily's island.
On the island, Dolittle is captured by Lily's father, King Rassouli. He is put in a cage with Barry, a grumpy tiger. With new courage, Chee-Chee helps Dolittle escape. However, they lose Lily's important journal to Müdfly and their ship is destroyed. King Rassouli, honoring his daughter, lends Dolittle another boat.
The Dragon and the Cure
Dolittle and his friends follow Müdfly. They meet Ginko-Who-Soars, a huge dragon who protects the magical fruit tree. Ginko attacks them, and Müdfly falls into a hole. Dolittle realizes the dragon is in pain and bravely helps him. Grateful, Ginko shows Dolittle where the fruit is.
Dolittle returns just in time to heal the Queen. Sticks, the walking stick, reveals that Lord Thomas Badgley, one of the Queen's advisors, was the one who poisoned her. He wanted to take the crown for himself and ordered Müdfly to stop Dolittle. The Queen has Badgley arrested.
The Queen thanks Dolittle for saving her. Dolittle then takes Tommy on as his apprentice and re-opens his animal sanctuary, ready for new adventures.
Meet the Characters
The movie features a mix of live-action actors and talented voice actors who bring the animals to life.
Live-Action Cast
- Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. John Dolittle: The amazing doctor who can talk to animals.
- Harry Collett as Tommy Stubbins: A young boy who becomes Dolittle's apprentice.
- Antonio Banderas as King Rassouli: Lily's father and a powerful king.
- Michael Sheen as Dr. Blair Müdfly: Dolittle's old school rival.
- Jim Broadbent as Lord Thomas Badgley: One of the Queen's chairmen.
- Jessie Buckley as Queen Victoria: The Queen of the United Kingdom.
Voice Cast
- Emma Thompson as Polynesia ("Poly"): A wise and brave blue and yellow macaw and Dolittle's main advisor.
- Rami Malek as Chee-Chee: A shy but noble mountain gorilla who finds his courage.
- John Cena as Yoshi: A happy polar bear who is always cold.
- Kumail Nanjiani as Plimpton: A funny ostrich who argues with Yoshi.
- Octavia Spencer as Dab-Dab: A helpful but sometimes confused duck.
- Tom Holland as Jip: A loyal dog who wears glasses.
- Craig Robinson as Kevin: A cheeky red squirrel.
- Ralph Fiennes as Barry: An aggressive bengal tiger.
- Selena Gomez as Betsy: A friendly Maasai giraffe.
- Marion Cotillard as Tutu: A French fox and Betsy's best friend.
- Frances de la Tour as Ginko-Who-Soars: A fire-breathing dragon.
Making the Movie
The idea for Dolittle was first announced in 2017. Filming began in March 2018 and took place in the United Kingdom. After the first versions of the movie were shown to test audiences, some parts were re-shot in 2019 to make the film even better.
Universal Pictures released Dolittle in the United States on January 17, 2020. The movie earned over $250 million worldwide. While it was one of the highest-grossing films of 2020, it didn't make as much money as the studio hoped.
See also
In Spanish: Dolittle para niños
