Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro has turned in an impressive body of work in various dramas and blockbuster comic-book movies, but it wasnt until now that he landed the role of a lifetime. Come next year, Benicio del Toro will, yes, voice Swiper, a kleptomaniac fox, in the Dora the Explorer movie.
The film, titled (wait for it) Dora the Explorer, is slated for an August release. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Instant Family actress Isabela Moner will star as the titular explorer, whose adventures were documented on the Nickelodeon series that ran from 2000 to 2015. The Nickelodeon shows main villain was Swiper, a mask-wearing fox who wore gloves. (Dora being a kids show, defeating Swiper never required much more than shouting “Swiper, no swiping!” three times.)
But what vibe will del Toro bring to this role? The original Swiper was never particularly menacing, but perhaps del Toro can dig deeper, bringing out the characters sinister side and imbuing him with harrowing depth. Or perhaps hell find the humanity within the thieving fox, proving that he and Dora are not so different after all. Or maybe hell just do a funny voice. Who knows! In any case, this movie is clearly daring you not to be intrigued.
Dora will be a little older in the film than she was on the TV show; the plot will find her preparing for high school and embarking on an expedition with her friends—a boy named Diego and a monkey named Boots—to “save her parents and solve the mystery behind a lost Inca civilization.” (You know, as one does when sleepaway camp gets dull.) Although this concept is slightly reminiscent of an old, popular CollegeHumor short, the film comes with a stacked cast: in addition to del Toro, who signed on relatively late in the game, Michael Peña and Eva Longoria will star as Doras parents.
Although the film adaptation will be live action, Swiper will be computer-generated. Its not clear yet what the films general aesthetic will be, but already its tempting to compare the concept to Pokémon Detective Pikachu—the deliberately unhinged Ryan Reynolds vehicle that will also blend live action with computer-generated animation and is, of course, also based on beloved childrens fare. Regardless, we can only hope the eventual Dora trailer inspires an equally vigorous conversation about computer-animated fur. For now, well just say this: congratulations, Benicio del Toro, on landing your most delightfully bonkers role yet.
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Laura BradleyLaura Bradley is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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