First Look: Universal's THE LORAX By Dr. Seuss

Actually I did not know that Universal was releasing THE LORAX in stereoscopic 3D until I read about it in USAToday! That rarely happens - but there it is. Then again, I had a hard time finding out whether DESPICABLE ME was going to be in S3D or not back in the day as well. Perhaps Universal needs to pick things up a bit!

Click image to enlarge.

The studio has impressive shoes to fill with the success they enjoyed with DESPICABLE ME. That movie raked in $250m domestically. Can they repeat with Dr. Seuss' THE LORAX?

The storyline chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, who speaks for the trees against the greedy Once-ler.

Actors lending their voices for the project are Danny DeVito (The Lorax), Ed Helms (The Once-ler) and Rob Riggle (Cop from THE HANGOVER). Zac Efron voices a boy (Ted) who goes looking for The Once-ler with Betty White as Ted's grandmother.

DeVito is candid about his role and opinions on environmentalism: "Look, I don't want to be gruff about it, but we've got to wake up and smell the oil burning," he says. "I'm hoping that the squeakiest wheel gets the least grease. I feel sometimes the only way to get things done is shake people up a little bit, and the Lorax is not a guy who pussyfoots around. He's not a guy who uses kid gloves. No, no, the Lorax means business."

I love Dr. Seuss stories! The man was a genius. I say make them ALL into movies...

THE LORAX opens March 2, 2012.