Stop everything that you are doing right now, because Benicio del Toro has been cast to play the character Swiper the Fox in the live-action Dora the Explorer movie, based on the popular children's television series.
Now that you've had a couple of seconds to digest that information, let's get into the details. Benicio del Toro has been cast to play the voice of Swiper, the villain of Dora the Explorer. Swiper is a fox who loves to steal things, often trying to nab the artifacts that Dora finds on her missions. The only way to stop him is for Dora to repeat the phrase "Swiper, no swiping" three times. This is exactly what Swiper's wife said to him in the episode where she found Tinder on his phone.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Benicio del Toro joins the film a little late-in-the-game, as production has already wrapped in Australia. However, del Toro is just supplying the voice for the character, and it's normal for the roles of CGI characters to be finalized when post-production begins.
Swiper the Fox has been in nearly every episode of Dora the Explorer, so it's no surprise to see him pop up in the live-action movie. It is a bit of a surprise that Paramount got Benicio del Toro to provide the voice, which perhaps gives us a clue that this version of Swiper is a bit more menacing than he ever was on the cartoon.
It is unknown if other popular Dora characters will be joining Swiper in the film, such as Map, Backpack, Benny the Bull, and (checks notes) the Grumpy Old Troll.
Benicio del Toro joins a cast that already includes Isabela Moner (Instant Family, Transformers: The Last Knight) as Dora. Moner and del Toro previously shared the screen in Sicario: Day of the Soldado earlier this year. The live-action cast also stars Michael Pena and Eva Longoria as Dora's parents, in addition to Eugenio Derbez, Adriana Barraza, and Temuera Morrison.
The plot of Dora the Explorer will find Dora leaving the familiarity of the jungle to explore an all-new world: High school. However, Dora soon hears the call to adventure and leads her best friend/monkey Boots, her cousin Diego, and a group of teens on a Goonies-like quest to save her parents and uncover the mystery of an Inca civilization.
I was a bit too old for Dora when it debuted on Nickelodeon but it was still popular enough where I was aware of the most famous parts of the show. It'll be interesting to see the tone that the movie is going for, as it sounds like an adventure film, but one that keeps the sillier elements like Swiper intact.
Dora the Explorer, which is directed by James Bobin, is currently slated to release on August 2, 2019. For everything else releasing next year, hit up our 2019 movie release guide.
