Jason Lee barks for Underdog

Jason Lee has been enjoying a bit of a career boost in recent months, thanks primarily to his TV show My Name Is Earl becoming a ratings hit in the US and proving rather popular over here, too.

But has he built up enough good karma (see what we did there, Earl fans?) to ward off worries that signing up to the Underdog adaptation might not be the best idea to keep his film career healthy? Disney will be hoping so.

The company is producing a live-action version of the cartoon, which chronicled the adventures of a lowly pooch named Shoeshine Boy. But this mutt has a secret - he becomes the superhero Underdog, a crime-fighting canine with a penchant for rhyme. In the film, he is adopted by a 12-year-old boy (reach for the sick bag!) and will be protecting the citizens of Capitol City from the evil Simon Barsinister (voiced by an already-cast Peter Dinklage). Racing Stripes director Frederik Du Chau is at the helm.

Still, the last time Lee lent a voice to a cartoon, we got The Incredibles. So perhaps his taste in ‘toons is solid? Only time will tell…