‘Hong Kong Phooey’ Drop-Kicks His Way Into Theaters Courtesy Of Brett Ratner

Posted by Rob Hunter (rob@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 13, 2009

On the bright side at least, Brett Ratner can’t ruin something that’s already pretty silly.

Variety reports that live action/animated hybrid film of the (not so) classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon, “Hong Kong Phooey”, is being produced under the auspices of Ratner.  As everyone knows, Ratner is a connoisseur of all things Hong Kong which makes him the perfect man to shepherd this project along.  The movie is being written by David Goodman who’s best known as a producer on “Family Guy” and “Futurama.”

“Hong Kong Phooey” was a short-lived cartoon about a police station janitor named Penrod Pooch who could transform into a talking, bi-pedal dog when he wanted to solve crimes.  (We’re not talking “Starblazers” here people…)  The dog drives around in his Phooeymobile, and in an ode to stereotypical Asian drivers he’s an absolute terror behind the wheel.  Hilarious.

The film version looks to be similar to recent hybrids like Alvin & the Chipmunks and Garfield.  Expect Jack Black or an ex-Daily Show correspondent to play Pooch and voice the animated Phooey.  Scatman Crothers voiced him in the cartoon, but the odds are pretty good that he won’t be returning for the film.

One interesting side note in Variety’s report is that Goodman is also writing Who’s Killing the Great Chefs of Vegas? which appears to be a loose remake of the 1978 film, Who’s Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?

Are you at all interested in a Hong Kong Phooey movie?

Read more articles by Rob Hunter