Just one week afterRobert Downey Jr.came aboard to star inThe Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, Universal Pictures has already found a spot for this highly-anticipated project on its release calendar. The studio has set a June 19, 2025 release date for this live-action adaptation, although Universal wasn’t the only studio shifting its upcoming slate. Sony Pictures also announced today that it will be pushing its upcomingBaby Driverto Wednesday, June 28, up nearly two months from its original date of August 11.
Sony Picturesmade their release date announcement at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas today, and while it doesn’t have any direct competition on this Wednesday date, it stilll puts this action-packed crime thriller from directorEdgar Wrightin the midst of some stiff box office competition. Five days before this release, Paramount will debut their highly-anticipatedTransformers: The Last Knighton June 23, and two days after the release, it will face Universal’s animated comedy sequelDespicable Me 3, along with Warner Bros.' comedyThe House, The Weinstein Company’s thrillerAmityville: The Awakeningand Broad Green Pictures’Wish Upon. If it would have stayed in its August 11 date, it would have only had to faceAnnabelle 2, with far less competition in the weeks before and after that date.
Baby Driver, which had its world premiere at the SXSW Festival this year, follows a talented, young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort), who relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. But after being coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom. The all-star supporting cast includesJamie Foxx,Lily James,Jon Hamm,Eiza Gonzalez,Jon Bernthal,Sky FerreiraandFlea.Edgar WrightdirectsBaby Driverfrom his own original screenplay.
As forThe Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, it will go up against Warner Bros.‘Minecrafton August 04, 2025, with Marvel Studios’Avengers 4hitting theaters a few weeks earlier on July 02, 2025.Stephen Gaghan(Gold) has signed on direct and write the script, which had an earlier draft written byTom Shepherd. The story will be based on the series ofchildren’s booksbyHugh Lofting, which followed the title character who could speak with animals. The book series kicked off in 1920 withDoctor Dolittle, and was followed byThe Voyages of Doctor Dolittlein 1922. It wasn’t specifically mentioned if this movie will be a direct adaptation of the second novel, or if the film will take elements from several of the books.
The long-running franchise first began on the big screen with the 1967 adaptationDoctor Dolittle, which was nominated for Best Picture, but aside from a short-lived animated series, the franchise laid dormant untilEddie Murphyrevived the character in 1998’sDoctor Dolittle, which was a big box office hit, earning $144.1 million domestic and $294.4 million worldwide.Eddie Murphyreturned for the sequel,Dr. Dolittle 2in 2001, although it didn’t fare quite as well, earning $112.9 million domestic and $176.1 million worldwide, from a $70 million budget. The franchise then went to straight-to-video sequels withDr. Dolittle 3debuting in 2006, starringKyla Pratt, reprising her role from the first two movies as Maya Dolittle, the daughter of Dr. John Dolittle, who also starred in 2008’sDr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chiefand 2009’sDr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts.
