The Box Office Flop That Forged Robert Downey Jr's Comeback

Robert Downey Jr. just named two of his most important movies, and they are not the ones you think. One kept him employable after a rough patch. The other hurt enough to change how he and his producing partner (and wife) run their business. Both are family films that critics did not exactly love. Yep, it is that kind of story.

Wait, his big turning point was... The Shaggy Dog?

"Honestly, the two most important films I've done in the last 25 years are 'The Shaggy Dog,' because that was the film that got Disney saying they would insure me. Then the second most important film was 'Dolittle,' because 'Dolittle' was a two-and-a-half-year wound of squandered opportunity."

That first part is a very unglamorous truth about Hollywood: if an insurer will not cover you, studios will not hire you. After the late 90s legal issues, Downey needed a major company to say he was safe to bank a production on. Disney doing that for 2006's The Shaggy Dog was the door back in.

How he actually got back on set

Quick rewind. In 1996, Downey was arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine, and an unloaded .357 Magnum. After repeated parole violations, a judge handed him a three-year prison sentence in 1999. Prison forced a reset, and friends like Mel Gibson helped him stabilize, but the town was still wary.

He booked Gothika in 2003, but a big chunk of his paycheck was held until wrap because everyone was still nervous about his addiction recovery. Then Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang reminded people what he could do and put him on Jon Favreau's radar. The thing that actually got producers to sign off on him again, though, was The Shaggy Dog, because Disney agreed to insure him.

So why did The Shaggy Dog flop anyway?

The 2006 movie was a remake of Disney's 1959 film, itself taken from Felix Salten's 1923 novel The Hound of Florence. The reaction was not kind. Reviewers hammered it as uninspired and cynical, and fans of the original complained about story changes that messed with what worked the first time around.

Downey plays the corporate villain, Dr. Marcus Kozak, and a lot of people felt his skills (go rewatch Bowfinger and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) got buried under a broad, kiddie-flick tone. On Rotten Tomatoes, it sits at 25%, and its IMDb score is 4.4/10. Not exactly a triumph.

Financially, though, it was not a catastrophe: $87.1 million worldwide on a $50 million budget. Not a hit, but not a money pit either. And for Downey, it did the crucial thing: proved a major studio would take the risk on him again. That matters.

Dolittle: the other 'important' one... for all the wrong reasons

Jump to 2020's Dolittle, another kid-focused adaptation. This one cost a fortune (reported budget in the $175–$192.4 million range) and grossed $251 million worldwide, according to The Numbers. Once the pandemic descended, that total looked decent on paper, but by most industry estimates Universal still ate a loss somewhere between $50 million and $100 million.

The reviews were brutal: confused storytelling, stale jokes, lots of head-scratching. It ended up winning Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel at the Razzies. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 15%, IMDb at 5.6/10. Again: not a triumph.

"The stress it put on my missus [wife and producer Susan Downey] as she rolled her sleeves up to her armpits to make ['Dolittle'] even serviceable enough to bring to market was shocking. After that point — what's that phrase? Never let a good crisis go to waste? — we had this reset of priorities and made some changes in who our closest business advisers were."

Behind the scenes, it was messy. Test screenings went poorly, the movie went back for multiple reshoots, and the team brought in outside help because the comedy just was not landing in the first cut. Downey calls the whole thing a two-and-a-half-year wound for a reason. The upside, per him: it forced a hiring and priorities reset for their company.

Where to watch

The Shaggy Dog (2006) is available to rent on Apple TV. Dolittle is streaming on Peacock.

By the numbers

• The Shaggy Dog (2006) — Director: Brian Robbins; RDJ role: Dr. Marcus Kozak; Budget: $50 million; Box office: $87.1 million; Rotten Tomatoes: 25%; IMDb: 4.4/10; Source material: 1959 remake of Disney's film based on Felix Salten's 1923 novel The Hound of Florence.
• Dolittle (2020) — Director: Stephen Gaghan; Budget: $175–$192.4 million; Box office: $251 million (per The Numbers); Estimated studio loss: $50–$100 million; Rotten Tomatoes: 15%; IMDb: 5.6/10; Razzies: Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel.