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Warner Bros. Pictures is developing "Speedy," a new animated feature film based on Looney Tunes' sprinting Mexican mouse character Speedy Gonzales.

Beloved Mexican filmmaker/actor Eugenio Derbez will voice the mouse and his signature "Arriba! Arriba! Andale! Andale!" catch cry in the new film, replacing the Mel Blanc who voiced the mouse in the original cartoons and the Oscar-winning 1955 short film that introduced the character.

Hank Nelken ("Are We Done Yet?") will pen the script which is being called a heist caper and 'Robin Hood'-style origin story. The film is also expected to be produced in both English and Spanish-speaking versions. Derbez and Ben Odell and Dylan Sellers will produce.

Source: Deadline...

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Manic mouse from Mexico Speedy Gonzales might be about to get his own animated feature - an origin story and "heist caper"...

As voiced by Mel Blanc and animated by Friz Freleng, Speedy Gonzales was one of the most popular characters in the Looney Tunes stable, nestling alongside the likes of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. And now, more than 60 years on from his small-screen debut, it's being reported that this most fleet-footed of rodents is to get his own movie.

According to Deadline, the project's still in development under the short-and-snappy title Speedy, with Mexican actor and filmmaker Eugenio Derbez providing the voice.

"In Mexico we grew up watching Speedy Gonzales," Derbez told the website. "He was like a superhero to us, or maybe more like a revolutionario like Simon Bolivar or Pacho Villa. He watched out for the little people but with a...

Speedy Gonzales, the fastest mouse in all of Mexico, is primed to make a beeline for the silver screen, with Deadline reporting that Warner Bros. has hatched an animated feature film based on the enduring motor-mouth.

A staple of the Saturday morning cartoon roster during the mid-1960s, the charismatic Looney Tunes mouse is now bound for cinema – oversized sombrero and all. Mexican filmmaker and actor Eugenio Derbez will lend his vocal chords to the racing rodent, who was originally brought to life by voice acting legend Mel Blanc during Speedy Gonzales‘ heyday.

No word yet on a director to take the reins, though we understand that Dylan Sellers along with producers Derbez and Ben Odell will help steer the animated feature during development. Drawing attention to the cartoon’s Mexican heritage, here’s what Derbez had to share with Deadline:

“In Mexico we grew up watching Speedy Gonzales. He...

While we impatiently await an official announcement for Space Jam 2, one of the characters from that impending sequel is finally getting his own movie. It sounds like Speedy Gonzales and some of his friends south of the border are about to embark on a heist adventure. And Warner Bros. has landed Mexican royalty to help bring the super fast rodent to the big screen in his first ever solo movie.

Yes, Mexico's much believed actor and filmmaker Eugenio Derbez will be breathing life into Speedy Gonzales. At this time, there are no story details for this animated adventure. But unlike other recent Saturday Morning adaptations, this one won't have a live-action element. Eugenio Derbez had this to say about accepting the role originated by the late great Mel Blanc from 1953 to 1989.

"In Mexico we grew up watching Speedy Gonzales. He was like a superhero to us, or maybe more like...

Andale! Andale! Arriba! Arriba! Yii-hah! Warner Bros. is reportedly developing an animated feature film based on the classic Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales. The news comes from The Tracking Board, who says that the film will be a contemporary adaptation of the cartoon character.

Speedy Gonzales was created by Friz Freieng and Hawley Pratt, and the character first appeared in the 1953 short "Speedy Gonzales." Over the years he appeared in 46 Warner Bros. cartoons. Just in case you’ve never heard of the character before, Speedy is a Mexican mouse who is super crazy fast. He’s known for wearing a yellow over-sized Charro, white shirt and trousers, and a bright-red kerchief. He often took on Sylvester the cat — who Speedy always manages to outsmart and outrun.

Several years ago, New Line Cinema was trying to get a movie off the ground with comedian/actor George Lopez as the voice of the title character.

Any collector of the Looney Tunes series would want this. The collection contains enough re-mastered episodes to fill up three Blu-ray discs and it includes a 28-page book describing every single episode! Who wouldn.t want it? Plus, the gags are top notch. It.s Looney Tunes! They practically invented laughter. Disc One is the highlights of each Looney Tunes character. Disc Two is a special tribute to .Wabbit hunting., and Disc Three is some of the lost cartoons. The cool thing about Looney Tunes is that it focuses on different characters. With Tom and Jerry, it is always about the cat and mouse, but with Looney Tunes the short could be about Speedy Gonzales, Porky Pig, Tweety...

Former Saturday Night Live comedienne Jenny Slate has been unexpectedly brought on to pen a reboot of Warner Bros. Looney Tunes franchise.

The all-new feature film is expected to be a CGI and live-action, similar to the studio’s approach to 1996s live-action and cartoon animated Space Jam and 2003s Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

On board to produce will be big names like media mogul David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith of KatzSmith, along with David Heyman (Harry Potter).

Details are being kept under wraps.

Slate has also appeared as an actress in This Means War and voiced characters in The Lorax and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.

The success of last year’s The Muppets, undoubtedly helped Warner Bros. made this decision even easier to move forward with a new feature.

Looney Tunes, which name is a variation on Silly Symphonies, originally showcased through the adventures of cartoon characters...

This may be Christian Bale's last Batman film, but the actor was eager to tell Yahoo that he would love to work with Chris Nolan again in the future. Although Nolan will probably hope that Bale will learn to read a script a bit faster as the actor recalls the first time he laid eyes upon The Dark Knight Rises. "I usually read and re-read and re-read, so he couldn’t believe it, I think. Chris kept walking in, thinking, is he asleep? We started lunchtime, it got dark, and the family was having dinner." While Christian's reading skills would put Speedy Gonzales in a coma, it is his unique approach to acting that has won over critics and fans. He begins each film with the mindset that no one is going to see it. This keeps him from becoming self-conscious, allowing him to take the bold and courageous...

Tonight's How I Met Your Mother explored one of the great conundrums of relationships: Is there such a thing a sleep cheating? Can one be held accountable by one's significant other for subconscious coitus with another person?

After the startling revelation that it was Ranjit who was the object of the rapid thigh movement behind Lily's rapid eye movement, Marshall had no choice but to accept that it was his wife's turn to ride the Crazy Go Round. I liked the common thread of good fathers Marshall found, linking the men in Lily's dreams together, even if it was not the case.

While Lily's pregnancy-induced promiscuity was one score Marshall could not challenge, Ted and Barney's Game of Life debate was itself legendary and worthy of being the subject of "Now We're Even." Each feat of awesomeness and the arbitrary point amount awarded to such was more and more hilarious...

The Looney Tunes Show offers a unique spin to our storylines and interactions, and the release of The Looney Tunes Show Season 1 Vol. 3 gives us four more episodes to enjoy. For those unfamiliar with this particular incarnation, we’ve shoved Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck together in a suburban neighborhood surrounded by all the colorful characters everyone knows and loves, and each episode features a main story mixed in with small breaks featuring Looney Tunes favorites in quick bites and/or Merrie Melodies.

The plots, and the general theme of the show, are something of a “step back” approach, as we see these characters, not in the midst of some wild adventures, but taking on the struggles and zaniness of their “normal lives.” Bugs and Daffy are in a charity auction, Foghorn Leghorn tries to produce an autobiographical film, that sort of thing.

It’s the same caliber of antics...

Note: I'm subbing in for regular recapper Christie Keith who was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with critical second-hand embarrassment last night after watching Will Schuester gyrate around in a matador costume. Just kidding. Christie is on vacation, but she'll be back next week just in time for the Glee Valentine's Day extravaganza! --Heather

Previously on Glee, Ryan Murphy hammered the gavel he keeps on his nightstand and declared, "Season three will be a season of stories, not stunt-casting!" But lo, The Boy Who Lived concluded his run on Broadway and a StarKid was summoned in his stead. A conundrum: According to The Code, at least seven AfterElton.com Hot 100 contenders must appear in every given episode of Glee. With Darren Criss succeeding in business, how could the quota be filled? An answer: Ricky Martin.

Honestly, you guys, it's like Glee's production team just scrolled through the Hot 100, all,...

Directed by an artist who has been associated with most of DreamWorks's CGI-animated movies over the past dozen years (Antz, the Shrek series and Madagascar among them), Puss in Boots is an attractive adventure yarn that combines the fairytale and the western. Somewhere south of the Rio Grande, the ace swordsman and Latin lover Puss in Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas) joins forces with Kitty Softpaws, a sexy Latina (Salma Hayek), and the treacherous, double-crossing Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) to acquire the magical beans that will enable them to climb to the heavens and steal the goose that lays golden eggs. Their chief opposition comes from two obese bandits, Jack and Jill, the nursery's answer to Bonnie and Clyde. The story, which might have been called "The Zorro and the Kitty", is rather dragged out. It would have been condensed into a 10-minute film by the makers of the long-running...

What to watch on Tuesday, August 9.

Man, the week is racing by already! It's like a rocket ship with Speedy Gonzales mud flaps! Old men are running out into their front yards yelling, "Slow Down, Week!" But I don't agree with them.you go just as fast as you want, week. Keep the TV shows coming.

Midseason Finale, 9pm, USA

White...  More >>...

In terms of comedy aimed (in theory) at children, no property is quite so timeless as Looney Tunes. Warner Bros. is prepping a major comeback, with feature projects in development for Bugs Bunny, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Marvin the Martian, and the Acme warehouse. The studio laid the groundwork with theatrical shorts last year and a new Cartoon Network series that premiered in May. Before any Looney Tunes features, WB will unveil three more 3D theatrical shorts -- two of the shorts feature the legendary Mel Blanc, the voice of pretty much every character you can name off the top of your head. Blanc died in 1989, but the animators will use old Blanc recordings from the 1950s, including original songs. Hit the jump for the official announcement, including full details on the three shorts and a high-resolution image from Daffy's Rhapsody. Daffy's Rhapsody will be attached to the November...

Courtesy Layla Kayleigh

MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew Insiders host Layla Kayleigh is letting readers follow along as she tackles motherhood.

Layla and her boyfriend Steven Covino‘s daughter Melody Rain is now 20 months old!

In her newest blog, Layla fills us in on the latest with her toddler (running and saying “no!”), shares photos and asks for your advice on dealing with “the mean kid” at the playground.

Melody has been keeping me so busy the last few months! Ever since she started walking, I feel like I have been running around like a madwoman trying to...

One of the true giants passed away this week: filmmaker Sidney Lumet, dead at 86 of lymphoma.

He was one of an incredibly talented class of directors who graduated from the early days of TV; a group which included such august talents as Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde, 1967), George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969), John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, 1962), Arthur Hiller (The Hospital, 1971), Franklin J. Schaffner (Patton, 1970), Norman Jewison (In the Heat of the Night, 1967), Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962), Martin Ritt (Hud, 1963), and Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch, 1969). Only Jewison is left, now, and as each has passed, mainstream American moviemaking has gotten a little louder, a little emptier, and a little dumber.

TV drama in the early days was almost like good theater: it was usually live, smart, provocative, rich with real-world character and sharp dialogue. Very early on, Lumet was considered one of the...

Forget about Marvel's foothold in the media, Cartoon Network has just become the go-to destination for all things DC.

Deadline reports from the Cartoon Network upfront that the animation network will unveil their monopoly on DC-related content, both animated and online entitled "DC Nation."

The press release reports:

"Debuting in 2012 as a multi-platform franchise, DC Nation will be the exclusive home for original DC animation properties. Backed by the production, publishing and marketing resources of Warner Bros., DC Entertainment and Cartoon Network, DC Nation will be an on-air and online programming block populated with event programming, interstitials, exclusive behind-the-scenes of theatrical production and an insider look into the world of all things DC."

Cartoon Network's presentation at the upfronts also included a look at its coming slate of other shows, including 13 original pilots and 19 returning series, including Star Wars: Clone Wars, Young Justice, Batman: The Brave and the Bold,...

Cartoon Network revealed today that they will be launching a new block of DC animation properties for TV and Online in 2012 called DC Nation. The new programming line-up will be "populated with event programming, interstitials, exclusive behind-the-scenes of theatrical production and an insider look into the world of all things DC."

The animated line-up includes 13 new animated series, 19 returning shows, and the network’s newest live-action scripted comedy series, Level Up. During the presentation DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg talked about the company's new CG-animated series for Cartoon Network based on How to Train Your Dragon. The network also announced fourth season renewals for the LucasFilm Animation's Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Here's a list a description of all of the new series coming to Cartoon Network, which includes ThunderCats, Green Lantern and Looney Toons.

The Problem Solverz: Created by celebrated artist Ben Jones, The Problem Solverz presents a fresh,...

Reports Deadline, DC Nation will be "populated with event programming, interstitials, exclusive behind-the-scenes of theatrical production and an insider look into the world of all things DC." Warner Bros. Animation will produce the block. Here is a breakdown of the Cartoon Network shows announced that are Cbm appropriate: The Looney Tunes Show: Screen icons Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are back, starring in an all-new modern comedy series from Warner Bros. Animation featuring all of the favorite Looney Tunes characters—Porky Pig, Speedy Gonzales, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, the Tasmanian Devil, Marvin the Martian, Tweety, Sylvester, Granny, Gossamer, Lola and Tina, Daffy’s new no-nonsense girlfriend. Fresh designs coupled with a vivid, contemporary animation style enhance the timeless wit and charm that make these classic characters so beloved around the world. The Looney Tunes Show will premiere on Tuesday, May 3, at 8 p.m. (Et/Pt). New Ben 10 Series [Title Tbd]:...

It's wedding season throughout India and what better day to bring you this news story than today. A month ago you were informed on iRock and Sid Jain's speedy production of Ragini Mms and his association with his new formed team of directors who will be directing films under iRock. As I'd love to call Sid, this Speedy Gonzales is showing no signs of taking it easy. iRock and Sid Jain have just announced their next film to go on floor after Ragini Mms. After branching into horror, Sid and company have come up with a complete contrast. His next production is titled Shaadi Of The Dead, a mad, crazy and romantic comedy that unfolds like a fun roller coaster ride, with a bunch of zombies. Invite - Shaadi Of The Dead, Invitees - Zombies and the Venue has been finalised too. The film is set in the yamla-pagla land - Punjab.

It's wedding season throughout India and what better day to bring you this news story than today. A month ago you were informed on iRock and Sid Jain's speedy production of Ragini Mms and his association with his new formed team of directors who will be directing films under iRock. As I'd love to call Sid, this Speedy Gonzales is showing no signs of taking it easy. iRock and Sid Jain have just announced their next film to go on floor after Ragini Mms. After branching into horror, Sid and company have come up with a complete contrast. His next production is titled Shaadi Of The Dead, a mad, crazy and romantic comedy that unfolds like a fun roller coaster ride, with a bunch of zombies. Invite - Shaadi Of The Dead, Invitees - Zombies and the Venue has been finalised too. The film is set in the yamla-pagla land - Punjab.

To celebrate the premiere of the animated series Looney Tunes 2011, a new YouTube page called What Tunes You On has been launched to showcase some of the best moments from the animated classic Looney Tunes.

In conjunction with this event, we here at Geeks of Doom are giving away a The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons coffee table book to one lucky winner!

One (1) winner will receive:

-- One (1) Looney Tunes Coffee Table Book

Looney Tunes on YouTube - www.youtube.com/whattunesyouon

Follow Looney Tunes on Twitter - twitter.com/_looneytunes

The YouTube channel showcases some of the best moments from the animated classic which introduced us to infamous characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, Taz, Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, and many others. In addition, a Looney Tunes Twitter page is also...

by Vadim Rizov

Watching some of the greatest, most sophisticated technology in the world to date used to expertly render a bear's ass bouncing in 3D is sort of like observing someone use an iPhone to play solitaire: as an indicator of how far we've come, it's both impressive and depressing. Such is Yogi Bear, which uses Avatar-worthy 3D technology to present (among other sights) Yogi and Boo Boo dancing not just to "Baby Got Back" but "Don't Stop Believin'" as well. Computers have come a long way since rendering 2000's The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, the first film to attempt translating beloved cartoon characters to the real world via CGI. TV's The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show being such a cultural high-water mark, it was mildly disappointing director Des McAnuff's film didn't know what to do with the iconic vaudevillians, and Piper Perabo clearly couldn't tell what direction her sightline was meant to be.

Some days you just have to double check the date to remind yourself that it's not April 1st. Alas, this next news story seems too ridiculous not to be true. We've seen a recent flurry of announcements about new movies based on popular Looney Tunes characters such as Bugs Bunny [1] and Speedy Gonzales [2] (featuring the voice of George Lopez). Now this week Vulture [3] has learned that there is also a new live action/CG movie in development featuring the romantic French skunk Pepe Le Pew. The actor in line to provide a voice for this classic cartoon character? None other than Mike Myers. I guess it's another easy yet lucrative voice role for Myers, who has clearly made a fortune from the Shrek franchise. Who knew he could pull off both a Scottish accent And a French accent? Now that's what I call talent. Seriously though, I like Mike Myers...

Following in the footsteps of other Looney Tunes characters making their way to the big screen in the form of live-action/CGI hybrid flicks, Vulture has the scoop on yet another adaptation in development . We've already heard about features for Bugs Bunny, Speedy Gonzales (voiced by George Lopez) and Marvin the Martian, but now the romantic, lustful skunk Pepé Le Pew is headed to theaters. Funnily enough, the French stench of a lover will be voiced by Mike Myers, who we previously heard was the top choice to voice Marvin the Martian. I suppose it's not out of the question to have him voice multiple roles, but it does seem unlikely. The classic Looney Tunes character always found himself in the pursuit of the affection of a female skunk, which was usually actually a female black cat (Penelope Pussycat) who accidentally got white paint on her back, thus making her...

Apparently Hollywood just can't get enough of these damn live action / CG hybrid movies based on popular cartoons. The massive success of Alvin and the Chipmunks (and, to a lesser extent, Garfield) definitely seems to be what has set off this latest wave of films including the upcoming Yogi Bear [1] flick, and a handful of others in development including Heathcliff [2], Tom and Jerry [3], and Speedy Gonzales [4]. Now another Looney Tunes character is coming back to the big screen in the same unflattering format, and he is probably the most recognizable one of all: Bugs Bunny. Warner Brothers has hired David Berenbaum, the writer of Elf and The Spiderwick Chronicles, to pen the script... need I say more? According to Deadline New York [5], the WB is eager to revive Looney Tunes, and they think this is the best way to do it. Based on the failure of the 2003 film Looney Tunes: Back In Action,...

The classic Looney Tunes characters are set to return to television with The Looney Tunes Show, an all-new half-hour animated television series for Cartoon Network.

No longer confined to seven-minute shorts, iconic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are out of the woods and living in the suburbs among such colorful neighbors as Yosemite Sam, Granny, Tweety and Sylvester. In addition to each episode’s main story, The Looney Tunes Show also features cartoons within a cartoon. The Tasmanian Devil, Speedy Gonzales, Marvin the Martian and other classic characters sing original songs in two-minute Merrie Melodies music videos, and the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote are featured in two-and-a-half-minute CG shorts.

Cartoon Network have unveiled an all-new promo video for the new series, and it’s a little… underwhelming. Anyway, check out your first look at a CGI Road Runner and the re-designed Bugs and Daffy.

DC Super Heroes, Wizards And That’S Not All Folks!Warner Bros. Consumer Products Showcases An Unrivaled Portfolio At Licensing International Expo 2010

Green Lantern, Looney Tunes, Harry Potter, Batman, Supergirl, Scooby-doo And Happy Feet Headline Offeringsburbank, CA – June 7, 2010 – Warner Bros. Consumer Products (Wbcp) arrives at this year’s Licensing International Expo with a rich portfolio of entertainment properties to drive its licensing, merchandising and retail businesses. Leading the lineup is the highly anticipated feature film Green Lantern, along with the full breadth and scope of the DC Comics’ expansive character universe. Other highlighted initiatives include a strong, multi-platform support for the beloved Looney Tunes characters and the continued evolution of the record-breaking Harry Potter franchise. Rounding out Wbcp activity is a number of strategic partnerships and promotional initiatives for other properties in the studio stable.

“With the super heroes of DC Comics, the antics of the Looney Tunes, the magic...

Back in April we brought you news on Warner Bros. / Cartoon Network’s plans to update the classic Looney Tunes for a modern audience, well now comes more details on the plans for the cartoon revival – including the news that we will see the return of the pre-movie Looney Tunes cartoon in cinemas starting with Cats & Dogs 2…

This year marks a return to the big screen for Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, two of the most popular Looney Tunes characters of all time. The studio will present animated 3-D shorts featuring the duo before three of its family features, all to be released this year. In each new three-minute cartoon short, Wile E. Coyote is as determined as ever to catch the elusive Road Runner, now with an arsenal of state-of-the-art Acme gadgets to snag his quarry-all in stereographic 3-D. The shorts and films they will appear before are...

Last month we brought you the news that Warner Bros. was rebooting their classic Looney Tunes characters for a new animated TV series called The Looney Tunes Show. The new series, starting with 26 half-hour episodes, will be shown on Cartoon Network in the fall. The show will star Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck as odd-couple roommates in a contemporary cul-de-sac. Yosemite Sam, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Marvin the Martian, and Porky Pig are their neighbors.

A preview of the character designs for Bugs and daffy were released last month, but now thanks to cartoonbrew we have some new images to share with you with most of our favorite characters. These come from the Licensing Expo. Check out the images below and let us know what ya think!

Official press release:

This year marks a return to the big screen for Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, two of the most popular...

In case you haven’t heard, Warner Bros. is launching a new Looney Toons animated series on Cartoon Network along with new 3D shorts that are slated for theaters. According to the press release, Cartoon Network will air The Looney Tunes Show a half-hour animated television featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck living together in the suburbs. Also in the neighborhood will be Yosemite Sam, Granny, Tweety and Sylvester. I wouldn’t be surprised if other Looney Tunes characters pop up along the way.

They’re also doing 3D shorts out later this year are three 3-minute 3D CG short films starring Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. Each film will screen before a major WB family film. Coyote Falls will be attached to Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (July 30th); Fur of Flying will be with Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (September 24th...

The New York Times is reporting Warner Brothers is resurrecting The Looney Tunes cartoon franchise, with both a brand new series set to debut this fall and a series of animated 3D short films coming to theaters this summer.

It was in 1930 – 1969 that the original Looney Tunes played in theaters across the country as pre-film entertainment. Looney Tunes shorts featured popular characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, Marvin the Martian, Taz, Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, and many others.

The studio will release the first 3D short film entitled “Coyote Falls,” which will feature the classic characters Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, and will be attached to prints of the summer film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, due in theaters on July 30. It was said that Warner Brothers have...

No, it’s not Disney’s ‘Godfather’ of animated rodents, Mickey Mouse, or even Looney Tunes’ lightning-fast Mexican Speedy Gonzales, but Terrytoons’ Mighty Mouse, the pint-sized but buffed superhero who first appeared way back in the 1940s.

The La Times reports that Paramount Pictures, via its Nickelodeon Movies off-shoot, is keen to get the little fella in a full-length feature film, following the success of Alvin and the Chipmunks and its so-called ‘Squeakquel’.

Cousins Brian and Mark Gunn (whose only major writing credit includes an untitled sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth) have had a crack at a script, but Paramount is apparently keen to see what a new writer can come up with.

A brainchild of Isadore ‘Izzy’ Klein, the character was originally Super Fly (meaning he was a super-powered housefly and not a…

Click to continue reading Mighty Mouse Movie Could Be On The Way...

0:00 - Intro / Olympics Talk 18:15 - Headlines: Rip Boner, Brian De Palma for Paranormal Activity 2, Speedy Gonzales Movie, Zoolander 2, Mickey Rourke to Play Conan’s Dad, Die Hard 5, John Krasinski as Captain America?, Ebert Gets His Voice Back 45:23 - Review: Cop Out 1:07:15 - Other Stuff We Watched: An Education, Michael Jackson’s This Is It, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Wrong Side of Town, Anchorman, The Crazies, Bronson 1:30:37 - Junk Mail: New Fj Remix, Favourite Franchise, Documentary Villains, Larry Cohen / Tobe Hooper Recommendations, Canadian Multiplexes, Walk Hard, How We Watch What We Watch, Favourite DPs 1:59:40 - This Week's DVD Releases 2:01:24 - Outro » Download the MP3 (59 Mb) [1] » View the show notes [2] » Vote for us on Podcast Alley! [3] Subscribe to the podcast feed: [4] [5] [6] [7] Donate via Paypal: Recurring Donation $2/Month: [1] http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/media.libsyn.com/media/filmjunk/filmjunk259.mp3 [2] http://www.

It seems that there are waves of similar news items each week. It could be a bunch of great trailers, then the next week is all business dealings, and then you'll get a pack of odd celebrity news, people getting arrested. This week, it's almost all casting. Some of these are great, some are real head scratchers.

Beyond those stories, though, we did find a couple intriguing headlines. For example, just a few months after Wal-Mart decided emphasizing DVDs in its stores was no longer a practical way to make money, the retail giant has announced it's buying a company that streams HD movies directly to your TV. The times they are a-changin'.

Get to it:

Ian McShane for Blackbeard in Pirates 4

Seriously? They might cast Jim from The Office as Captain America?

Seriously? They're making a Speedy Gonzales movie...with George Lopez?

Wal-Mart buys Vudu

Another Die Hard for Bruce Willis?...

New Line Cinema is about to develop what I fear will be a massive failure: a Speedy Gonzales movie. Yes, that's right; the studio has indeed decided it would be an awesome idea to create a live-action/CGI film for the fast mouse nobody can stop.

I know this is bad news, but it gets worse: Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen, the folks behind the disastrous misery "Garfield," will write the script. Also, George Lopez will most likely end up voicing the character. He recently voiced a stupid Chihuahua.

Heat Vision, which reported the news, has this quote from producer Ann Lopez: "We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s -- the racist Speedy. Speedy's going to be a misunderstood boy who comes from a family that works in a very meticulous setting..."

Whatever Speedy will end up doing, I don't care. How about you?...

Since Hollywood is content with destroying the majority of my greatest TV memories, they are now reaching to the far corners of my brain for beloved childhood icons to forever scar me.

TV actor and comedian George Lopez has been taped to provide the voice for the beloved Speedy Gonzales in a new big screen movie adaptation of the beloved Warner Brothers 'Looney Tunes' franchise.

Now I understand that big names bring big bucks to the box office, but this really the first time in my mind that a famous Looney Tunes character is being re-voiced by a star instead of a trained voice actor who can mimic the immortal voice of the late Mel Blanc. Voice actor Billy West, an outspoken critic of celebrity voice over characters, once described it in an earlier interview I did with him for Arriviste Press magazine as "most artless, bloodless, Godless idea I've ever heard.

Hollywood has found yet another animated animal to bring into the "real world" for a feature film. Underdog was released a couple years back and Yogi Bear should be out this December. Now Speedy Gonzales is getting the treatment.

Part of the Looney Tunes stable of characters, Speedy Gonzales debuted in a cartoon short in 1953. Created by Robert McKimson, the character didn't really catch on until a couple years later when Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt redesigned the character. The fast rodent was pitted up against Sylvester the Cat and the animated short won an Academy Award.

Voiced by Mel Blanc, Speedy Gonzales remained an audience favorite for many years, particularly in Latin America. He has been featured in numerous, shorts, movies, and TV shows. In 1981, the character even co-headlined in a Saturday morning program called The Sylvester & Tweety, Daffy...

In the past few years there have been a number of animated characters brought to the big screen in a hybrid mix of CG animation and live action.  Films like "Garfield" and "Alvin and the Chipmunks" instantly come to mind.

Well get ready for the next one as it is being reported that New Line Studios is picking up speed with its development of a "Speedy Gonzales" movie with George Lopez in place to voice the Rouv (Rodent Of Unusual Velocity).

Like most kids, I watched a Lot of Looney Tunes, and I specifically remember thinking it was the greatest day in history when they finally had that episode where Speedy and the Road Runner actually had a race.  To this day I'm convinced it was the event that planted the seeds for such films as "Aliens vs Predator" and "Freedy vs Jason" to be made (not really... but it would make sense wouldn't it?...

The most important thing that happened on Wednesday? Conan O’Brien joined Twitter. Sixteen words later, he has 155k followers.

The reports are saying that Ian McShane will be the bad guy in the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Like always, I assume he’ll be playing Ian McShane, going by the name of Blackbeard.

I really don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing because I’ve never seen Zoolander. But despite lackluster financials on the first one (which had the bad timing of releasing right after the September 11th terror attacks), there’s going to be a sequel. How they expect Ben Stiller to play a male model at his age, I have no idea.

The Manifest Equality Gallery will open in Los Angeles March 3rd to March 7th, showcasing hundreds of artists in an exhibition focused on equal right for all.

Latin comedian George Lopez is getting animated for a controversial cartoon movie role, as racially divisive Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales. Warner Brothers cartoonists debuted "The fastest mouse in all Mexico" in the 1950s as a nemesis of "Sylvester the Cat", but courted criticism for Gonzales' stereotypically racist depictions.

The "Valentine's Day" actor will lend his voice to the mouse in the forthcoming "Speedy Gonzales" film but he's hoping to revamp the character to make him politically correct. The comedian's wife, Ann Lopez, who will serve as producer, says, "We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s - the racist Speedy."

"Speedy's going to be a misunderstood boy who comes from a family that works in a very meticulous setting, and he's a little too fast for what they do. He makes a mess of that. So he has to go out in the...

Speedy Gonzales: The Movie is in the planning stages. It’ll be a hybrid of live action and CGI. That’s bad, but it’s not all. Head for the hills, hide the children, and brace yourself: George Lopez, the unfunniest man in Hollywood, will be providing Senor Speedy’s voice, according to The Hollywood Reporter. But wait -- it gets even worse: the character has often courted criticism that the ethnic characterizations of him and his compatriots (especially lazy cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez) are stereotypically racist and severely outdated. Aware of this, New Line and the producers plan to update the brand with a modernized sensibility (it takes place in present day) under what Ann Lopez calls George's "Latino seal of approval." (No need to throw fuel on the fire that serves as an immigration debate in this country.) "We wanted to make sure that it was not the...

New Line Cinema is getting ready to make a big screen version of "Speedy Gonzales" and "Garfield" writers Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen are penning the script.

George Lopez is attached to voice Speedy.

The Hollywood Reporter told us that this will be a live-action/CG hybrid feature.

I used to love this cartoon, but isn't it too politically incorrect for our times, albeit racist? I doubt if Speedy's lazy cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez will be featured.

Apparently, New Line is aware of this, so the producers are updating "the brand with a modernized sensibility (it takes place in present day) under what Anne Lopez calls George's "Latino seal of approval." (No need to throw fuel on the fire that serves as an immigration debate in this country.)"

Anne Lopez, one of the producers, told THR that, "Speedy's going to be a misunderstood boy who comes from a family that works in a very meticulous setting,...

Latin comedian George Lopez is getting animated for a controversial cartoon movie role, as racially divisive Looney Tunes character Speedy Gonzales.

Warner Brothers cartoonists debuted "The fastest mouse in all Mexico" in the 1950s as a nemesis of Sylvester the Cat, but courted criticism for Gonzales' stereotypically racist depictions.

The Valentine's Day actor will lend his voice to the mouse in the forthcoming Speedy Gonzales film but he's hoping to revamp the character to make him politically correct.

The comedian's wife, Ann Lopez, who will serve as producer, says: "We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s - the racist Speedy. Speedy's going to be a misunderstood boy who comes from a family that works in a very meticulous setting, and he's a little too fast for what they do. He makes a mess of that. So he has to go out in the world to find what he's good at."...

If I shake my head in disbelief long enough, maybe it will all just go away - George Lopez will voice Speedy Gonzales is a new animated/live-action Looney Tunes movie.

Perhaps you think, like me, that any new version of Speedy and his comrade Slowpoke Rodriguez would be a maelstrom of ethnic stereotypes no studio would want to explore, New Line is heading this off at the pass. Heat Vision Blog spoke to producer Anne Lopez who says, "We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s -- the racist Speedy."

"Speedy's going to be a misunderstood boy who comes from a family that works in a very meticulous setting, and he's a little too fast for what they do," she explains. "He makes a mess of that. So he has to go out in the world to find what he's good at."...

Pinto to Wage War of the Gods: If you have seen The Cell and The Fall you most likely already have your mind made up on Tarsem Singh, director of the upcoming epic War of the Gods of which Freida Pinto has just signed on to star in as the oracle priestess Phaedra. The film follows the battles waged by Theseus (Henry Cavill), a warrior from Greek mythology, who leads a fight against the imprisoned titans in a story where gods fight alongside mortals. Phaedra joins Theseus on his quest to prevent the cataclysmic war from erupting. Jason Keller penned the most recent draft of the script. The original screenplay was written by Charley and Vlas Parlapanides. Production is set to begin in April. Universal Pictures is distributing. [Variety]

Matt Damon as Rfk: Matt Damon has reportedly signed on to star in an untitled biopic on Robert F Kennedy based on...

Put yourself in the mindset of a development-strapped executive who's just been handed the rights to classic cartoon character Speedy Gonzales. What are the most hacky choices you could make for its film adaptation? "I know! Let's get the writers of Garfield for the screenplay, and George Lopez to voice Speedy! Oh, and this definitely should be a CG/live action mix." All those things actually happened. How close were you? [THR]...

So apparently all those Warner Bros. Speedy Gonzales cartoons? Racist. I don’t even recall enough of those old episodes to know if they really were racist, but come on, it was Hollywood in the ’50s and ’60s, they weren’t exactly living and dying by the politically correct dagger like they are now. Flash-forward to 2010, and George Lopez will be voicing a combination live-action/CG hybrid movie (like “G-Force”, perhaps?) based on the Speedy Gonzales character, and Lopez’s wife, a producer on the movie, assures us that this version of the fastest mouse in all of Mexico will not be racist. Yay. “We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s — the racist Speedy,” Anne Lopez said with a chuckle. “Speedy’s going to be a misunderstood boy who comes from a family that works in a very meticulous setting, and he’s...

Los Angeles, California (X17online) - Speedy Gonzales will be racing to a theater near you. The mouse with the signature red kerchief will be voiced by comedian George Lopez. New Line will bring the classic Looney Tunes character to the big screen in a live-action/CG hybrid feature. Ocean's Eleven mega-producer Jerry Weintraub will co-produce the upcoming film with George Lopez. The Speedy character, that debuted in the 1950s, has been criticized in the past for being stereotypically racist. Aware of this, New Line plans to update the brand by having it take place in modern day. Lopez's wife Anne says the character will have George's "Latino seal of approval."...

It seems that the “Looney Tunes” are coming back in a big bad way. A couple months ago, I reported that a Marvin The Martian movie was being produced. I figured that we wouldn’t hear about any more Looney Tune movies ’til after Marvin, but now we are hearing about a George Lopez voiced Speedy Gonzales film coming out. Lopez and his wife Anna, who are producers on the film, both claim that the film will not be racist, and instead will be more uplifting.

Read more on George Lopez voiced Speedy Gonzales movie is up and running. ¡Andale!…...