Speedy Gonzales Animated Heist Movie Coming

Iconic Looney Tunes mouse Speedy Gonzales, the zippy rodent made famous from Saturday morning cartoons in the 1960s, is getting his own animated movie. That's according to Deadline, which says Warner Bros. is moving forward with the film, with Eugenio Derbez to voice the mouse. Derbez is well-known in Mexico, and one of his standout roles was Donkey in the Spanish-language version of Shrek.

"In Mexico, we grew up watching Speedy Gonzales," Derbez told the site. "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 lot of bravado and a weakness for the ladies."

Derbez went on to say that he's "really excited" to be working on the project, and says he's a clear fit for the part. "Besides being Mexican, my full name is Eugenio Derbez Gonzalez and I have big ears," he said. "The casting couldn't be better."

The movie is currently in production under the tentative title "Speedy." Saving Silverman writer Hank Nelken has been brought on to craft the story, which will involve a heist and is inspired by Robin Hood.

"We see this as an origin story of the great master, like a Robin Hood character, who ultimately ends up taking from the rich and giving to the poor," producer Dylan Sellers told Deadline.

As Deadline explains, the character Speedy Gonzalez rose to fame in 1955 thanks to a short he appeared in alongside another famous fictional animal, Sylvester the Cat. The short won an Academy Award in 1956 in the Short Subject (Cartoon) category.