He may have dropped out of voice duties on Megamind before it got anywhere near the screen, but it seems Robert Downey Jr is still happy to work with DreamWorks Animation. He’s locked in a lead role as hyper-intelligent pooch Mr Peabody for the studio’s big screen version of the dog’s adventures.
Mr Peabody and his pet boy Sherman were usually to be found inhabiting the Peabody’s Improbable History segment on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show, using the WABAC machine to travel through time and learn about historical figures and events.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the original plan was to make the movie as a blend of live action and animation (which brings to mind the nightmare that was the Rocky and Bullwinkle movie) before that idea was ditched and it was reconceived as a pure 3D animation. Director Rob Minkoff, who last made The Forbidden Kingdom, is overseeing the new version. And he admits that the characters, while still pop culture icons, don’t possess quite the same recognition factor as they once had. “Certainly for Boomers, they’re in the sweet spot of our childhood animation memories, but beyond there it gets a little bit, well, not quite as familiar.”
So with Downey Jr lending some cred and his tonsils as Peabody, the hope is to introduce a new audience to the characters, particularly since it’ll take a look at the dog’s secret origin. “Mr. Peabody is this genetic anomaly,” Minkoff says. “He does have brothers and sisters, all of them non-speaking, no super-smart dogs. He’s an outcast, but has overcome it by being so great at so many things.” Simpsons veterans Jeffrey Ventimilia and Joshua Sternin are writing the script. We’re trying to ignore the fact that their last produced work was Yogi Bear.
Downey Jr will be reporting to the sound booth soon to start recording his role and the film is expected out in 2014.