DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. today announced that two-time Academy Award nominee Robert Downey Jr. will voice the iconic character of Mr. Peabody, headlining the cast of the studio’s feature adaptation of animation legend Jay Ward’s classic TV series, Mr. Peabody & Sherman. The studio had previously announced that Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, The Lion King) will direct the project, and Jason Clark (Monster House, Stuart Little) will produce. Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Bullwinkle Studio’s Tiffany Ward and Classic Media’s Eric Ellenbogen will executive produce the project, which was first brought to the studio by Minkoff and Clark.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman marks Minkoff’s return to animation after 15 years. “It’s great to come back to my first love, animation,” said Minkoff. “The opportunity to make another animated feature with Jeffrey Katzenberg and the amazing team he’s built at DreamWorks Animation is truly a dream come true. I’ve loved the time-traveling adventures of Mr. Peabody & Sherman since I was a kid. There’s something irresistibly charming about the idea that the world’s smartest person is a dog who adopts a ‘pet’ boy.”
“Rob is a brilliant filmmaker and welcoming him to DreamWorks Animation is exciting for all of us,” said DreamWorks Animation’s Chief Creative Officer Bill Damaschke. “We look forward to working with him to bring one of the most unusual father-son teams ever conceived to the big screen.”
Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia (“That ’70s Show”) wrote the first draft screenplay. Alex Schwartz and Chris Kuser are overseeing the project at DreamWorks Animation.
