George Lopez To Save Speedy Gonzales From P.C. Trap

George Lopez is throwing his muscle behind another Latino icon: Speedy Gonzales.

Not only will the comedian be the new voice of the heroic mouse, he will also help co-produce the new film version of Speedy on a team which includes wife Ann Lopez.

The new version of the classic Looney Tunes cartoon will be a live-action/CG hybrid. Lopez's street cred in the Latino community will surely help the film overcome the PC criticism Speedy has suffered in the past. The project will feature George's "Latino seal of approval," Ann Lopez told the Heat Vision blog.

It will also be tweaked to modernize Speedy from his 1950 origins. Known as the "Fastest Mouse in Mexico," the character has often courted criticism that the ethnic characterizations of him and his compatriots (especially lazy cousin Slowpoke Rodriguez) are stereotypically racist and outdated.

"We wanted to make sure that it was not the Speedy of the 1950s -- the racist Speedy," Ann Lopez told the blog.

If anyone can walk the line with a smile, it's Lopez. However, it already has stirred up some protest. The Latino Review website featured the simple line "kill me now" after addressing the movie on the website.
 

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