Step Aside Mel Blanc, George Lopez IS Speedy Gonzales

[Brian Damage]

Speedy Gonzales is speeding toward the big screen.

New Line is turning the "Looney Tunes" character into a live-action/CG hybrid movie with help from George Lopez, according to The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog.

The comedian and sitcom star is set to voice Speedy, the fast-moving, red-kerchiefed mouse known for his signature speed-demon battle cry, "¡Andale! ¡Andale! ¡Arriba! ¡Arriba!" The character debuted in the 1950s as the arch-nemesis of Sylvester the Cat.

Producers say they plan to update the character, which has been criticized for being racist.

"We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s - the racist Speedy," said producer Anne Lopez. "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."

It won't be Speedy's movie debut. The character was also featured in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Space Jam" and "Looney Tunes: Back in Action."

Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen, who brought lasagna-loving Garfield to life on the big screen, will pen the script.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...new_movie.html

[Marvo301]

It always scares me when someone says they`re going to update a character. It usually means they`re going to ruin the character. I hope that is not the case with Speedy since he is one of my favorite Looney Tunes characters but I am concerned. And although I like George Lopez no one will ever hold a candle to Mel Blanc when it comes to voice acting!