Selena Gomez joins “The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle” cast

Selena Gomez will voice a role in Universal's “The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle.”

The project stars Robert Downey Jr., while Tom Holland, Emma Thompson, and Ralph Fiennes round out the voice cast and Antonio Banderas and Michael Sheen will portray live-action characters.

Universal acquired the project last year, which will be directed by Stephen Gaghan from a screenplay he wrote with an earlier draft by Tom Sheppard. It's based on the character from the 1920's series of children's books by Hugh Lofting, in which a Victorian-era physician opts to treat animals instead of humans because he's able to speak with them.

Lofting's character was portrayed by Rex Harrison in the 1967 musical “Doctor Dolittle,” which won Oscars for best original song and visual effects. Eddie Murphy starred in the 1998 film “Doctor Dolittle” and its 2001 sequel, which cumulatively grossed more than $470 million at the worldwide box office.

Gomez currently executive produces Netflix's “13 Reasons Why” and can be heard in the upcoming third installment of the “Hotel Transylvania” franchise.

Jon Mone and Lexi Barta will oversee production for Universal, which is set to begin later this month in London. The film is slated for a April 12, 2019 release.

Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum will produce for their Roth/Kirschenbaum Films alongside Susan Downey for Team Downey. Gomez is represented by WME, Lighthouse Management & Media and Ziffren Brittenham LLP.