UNDERDOG

During a lab mishap, a diminutive hound named Shoeshine accidentally acquires superpowers. A lonely twelve-year-old boy adopts Shoeshine, and the two form a strong friendship based on the secret they share: the little dog is actually the superhero Underdog, played by a real dog with CGI enhancements and voiced by Jason Lee of NBC's "My Name is Earl." Underdog's nemeses -- the mad scientist Simon Barsinister (Peter Dinklage) and his overgrown henchman Cad (Patrick Warburton) -- must be overcome if Capitol City, including love interest Polly Purebread (voiced by Amy Adams), is to be saved.

The caped canine with a flair for rhyming couplets is best known as the star of NBC's tongue-in-cheek cartoon, which ran from 1964 to 1973. As such, this largely live action production harks back to the late '90s when the Disney regularly gave yesteryear cartoons live-action big screen treatment (George of the Jungle, Mr. Magoo, Inspector Gadget). Belgium's Frederik Du Chau (Racing Stripes) is in the director's chair, working from a script credited to Joe Piscatella, Craig A. Williams, and Adam Rifkin. If the movie is well received, Walt Disney Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment are hoping for a franchise. This potentially first film was shot spring 2006 in Rhode Island and will be released on August 3rd, 2007.