A gritty, action-heavy reboot of Dora the Explorer sounds more appropriate for a Funny or Die parody than a full-length film. And while a gritty, action-heavy reboot may not be exactly what we get with Nick Stoller penning the script, there’s always that lingering possibility when Michael Bay has a producer credit on the project.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stoller’s script will advance Dora in age, transforming the plucky cartoon seven-year-old adventurer into a (hopefully sullen and disaffected) real live teen taking up with her cousin Diego (of Go, Diego, Go! fame) in a nebulous yet-unnamed city. The concrete details of the film are scant. Paramount Players, a new division of the company, is shooting for a 2019 release, though no official date has been set.
Surprising as it may be that there’s never been a big screen adaptation of Dora before, there have been past projects that never got off the ground. Stoller is an apt choice for the project; though he got his start with Forgetting Sarah Marshall, he’s since helmed The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted, and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. He dipped his toe into original children’s properties with Storks, but the guy seems pretty comfortable with using familiar characters.
Bringing Dora into a live-action setting may be an intriguing idea for the fans that grew up with her, especially since that’s not a small group; the series ran for a staggering 14 years, making it a true staple in the Nick Jr. block. Here’s hoping it’s still the kid-friendly property it always was and Stoller can retain creative control before Bay brings in blazing guns and Megan Fox on a motorcycle.
How many of your younger cousins will you be roped into seeing the Dora movie with? Let us know in the comments!
Images: Nickelodeon
