When Peter Dinklage signed on to voice villain Simon Barsinister in a live-action movie adaptation of 1960s US cartoon Underdog, the general reaction from fandom was along the lines of “don’t do it!”
Underdog isn’t generally seen as a high watermark of animation, despite its classic status and there are fears that the adaptation will be more Rocky & Bullwinkle than, er, good. But that hasn’t stopped Jason Lee – currently riding high on the success of comedy show My Name Is Earl – from stepping forward to lend his tonsils to the heroic pooch.
The Disney film, to be directed by Racing Stripes’ Frederik Du Chau, is based around the ‘toon’s basic plot of humble dog Shoeshine Boy, who transforms when needed into the heroic Underdog. His mission? Save Capitol City from the nefarious plots of Barsinister and protect his true love, Polly Purebred. This being a Disney update, he’ll now also be adopted by a charming 12-year-old boy. Wow, we’ve never seen that story before.
And Lee has clearly found a taste for animated work – since vocalising Syndrome in The Incredibles, he’s also taken a role in Sony’s Monster House, the follow-up to The Polar Express. And for those dying to see him back on screen in a Kevin Smith film, get thee to a cinema later this year, where he’ll crop up in a Clerks II cameo.