Hollywood Tonight Presents Walt Disneys Pictures Underdog production notes!

UNDERDOG

About the Production
One Nation. Under Dog.

   There's no need to fear. Underdog is here! Everyone's favorite canine superhero is back and about to take to the skies as he's never been seen before -- hilariously re-imagined in this live-action comedy-adventure inspired by the classic cartoon. UNDERDOG is the story of how a nation found a savior in the least likely of forms: a humble, lovable Beagle who becomes a flying hero who can fight crime while speaking in playful rhyme.

   UNDERDOG features a cast of both canine and human talent, including Jim Belushi ("According to Jim"), Jason Lee ("My Name Is Earl"), Patrick Warburton ("Seinfeld"), Peter Dinklage ("Elf," "The Station Agent"), Brad Garrett ("Everybody Loves Raymond") and Academy Award® nominee Amy Adams ("Junebug."), along with rising young actors Alex Neuberger and Taylor Momsen ("How the Grinch Stole Christmas"). But the real stars of the film are the adorable, well-trained dogs who win the day, including Leo the Lemon Beagle in the role of Shoeshine/Underdog; Ginger, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as Polly Purebred; as well as Bronco the Rottweiler as the villainous Riff Raff.

   The story of Underdog's mysterious origins begins in the wake of an accident in the high-tech lab of the maniacal scientist Dr. Simon Barsinister (Dinklage). Suddenly, an ordinary, down-and-out young Beagle named Shoeshine finds himself with extraordinary powers, not to mention the unexpected ability to turn his bark into real speech. Now, armed with a "fetching" superhero costume, this unlikely caped crusader and humbly self-described Underdog (voiced by Jason Lee) vows to protect the beleaguered citizens of Capitol City - especially one beautiful Spaniel named Polly Purebred (voiced by Amy Adams). When a sinister plot by Barsinister and his overgrown henchman Cad (Warburton), threatens to destroy Capitol City, only Underdog can save the day.

   Walt Disney Pictures presents in association with Spyglass Entertainment, UNDERDOG, based on the long-running cartoon series. Director Frederik Du Chau ("Racing Stripes") brings to life the world of Shoeshine, Polly Purebred, Dr. Simon Barsinister, Riff Raff and Cad with state-of-the-art visual effects that add a new layer to the timeless tale of a pup who comes to believe in family, friendship and himself -- despite being a true underdog.

   UNDERDOG is directed by Frederik Du Chau from a screenplay by Adam Rifkin and Joe Piscatella & Craig A. Williams and a story by Piscatella, Williams and Rifkin. The producers are Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Jay PolsteinPolstein and Jonathan Glickman. The executive producers are Eric Ellenbogen, Bob Higgins and Todd Arnow. The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography David Eggby ("Racing Stripes," "Mad Max"), production designer Gareth Stover ("Daddy Day Care"), Academy Award®-nominated costume designer Gary Jones ("Spiderman 2"), editor Tom Finan ("Racing Stripes," "Stuart Little") and Golden Globe nominated composer Randy Edelman ("The Mask").

   HIP! HIP! HIP! AND AWAY I GO!
THE ORIGINS OF UNDERDOG

   "Look up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a frog." With those whimsical words, the world was introduced to the floppy-eared, flying dynamo known as Underdog. True to his persona, he came onto the scene in the most humble of ways, as a simply drawn, flesh-colored cartoon character who became an unexpected run-away hit. But, for an entire generation, the haplessly heroic Underdog also became something far more - forever associated with the boundless joy of Saturday mornings in your PJs and a world where even the most humble and hang-dog of canines could become a grand hero who regularly manages to save the day.

   The birth of the cartoon series began in 1960 when Buck Biggers, an account executive at the New York ad agency Dancer Fitzgerald Sample, teamed up with fellow ad-man Chet Stover and illustrator Joe Harris to create animated television shows to help sell breakfast cereals for their big client, General Mills. The team would go on to bring to television a whole roster of memorable characters, including Tennessee Tuxedo and King Leonardo, but their most enduring character was the mild-mannered mutt who would become known worldwide as Underdog - the one hero who truly spoke for the little guy.

   The series debuted on NBC in October of 1964 and ran for almost a decade, charming both children and adults with 121 episodes through 1973. Audiences fell in love with the unlikely hero who, called into action by his girlfriend Polly Purebred, would leap into a phone booth and change into a "pup of steel" in order to battle the evil plots of Dr. Simon Barsinister and the underworld boss Riff Raff.

   The popularity of the "Underdog" cartoon series took nearly everyone by surprise. He soon became the first cartoon character to ever grace the ultra-sophisticated cover of the New Yorker magazine. And even when the episodes came to an end, Underdog's appeal endured. Underdog's snappy catchphrases - including "When Polly's in trouble, I'm not slow. So it's hip! hip! hip! and away I go!" and "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!" -- became part of everyday conversation.

   In 1965, Underdog made his first appearance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and quickly became a fan favorite and one of the most popular symbols of the beloved parade. (So popular, in fact, that a classic episode of the sitcom "Friends" features the Underdog balloon breaking free during the Macy's Parade and flying away!) The instantly recognizable image of Underdog has also spread through the popular culture, with the character appearing in ads for Visa Check Cards.

   The Underdog theme song -- written by W. Watts Biggers, Treadwell D. Covington, Joseph B. Harris and Chester A. Stover, and filled with such memorable lines as "speed of lightning/roar of thunder/fighting all who rob or plunder/Underdog!" -- was as big a sensation as Underdog himself and has also endured, getting updated treatments recently on the hit show "Scrubs" with Ted Buckland's band, The Blanks. Bringing the song full circle in UNDERDOG is a fresh version from multi-talented teen star Kyle Massey, star of the popular Disney Channel hit "Cory In The House."