The Dreamworks animated feature reworking of Mr. Peabody & Sherman seems like the right kind of adaptation to make- something with just enough nostalgia and history to be worth exploiting the brand, but something with a catchy enough premise that you can actually have fun with it today. Maybe it’s just my enthusiasm for puns and anachronistic racism, but I feel like this could be a decent kid’s flick.

The film was announced early last year as a voicing vehicle for Robert Downey Jr., but the Man of Iron has since departed the project and has now been replaced by Ty Burrell. While the Modern Family actor is no RDJ, he’s a actually a perfect choice as far as cheaper replacements go. He’ll be backed by kid-actor Max Charles as Mr. Peabody’s “pet boy” Sherman, and you’ll be able to get an idea of the kid’s pipes when he appears as Young Peter Parker this summer.

The rest of the cast includes Stephen Colbert as the bad guy, with Allison Janey, podcasting stalwart Stephen Tobolowsky, Ariel Winters, and Ellie Kemper taking on supporting roles. The schedule for the film has accelerate to accommodate Dreamwork’s bumped-up release date of November 8th of next year. I hope they’re excited by a good script and a clear vision from director Rob Minkoff- I’d like this to be a nice surprise next year.

Source | THR