{"id":412786,"date":"2026-01-17T11:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T11:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/412786\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T11:00:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T11:00:09","slug":"jorge-r-gutierrez-to-direct-for-warner-bros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/412786\/","title":{"rendered":"Jorge R. Guti\u00e9rrez to Direct for Warner Bros."},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThe fastest mouse in all of Mexico<\/a> is hoping to race onto the big screen.<\/p>\n

\n\tWarner Bros<\/a>. has set Jorge R. Guti\u00e9rrez<\/a> to direct an animated feature centering on the classic Looney Tunes<\/a> character Speedy Gonzales, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned. Plot details have not been shared, and a writer has not been announced.<\/p>\n

\n\tGuti\u00e9rrez took to social media last month to tease the project, posting a photo<\/a> of himself holding a Speedy Gonzales figurine while wearing a straw hat and red bandana similar to the ones that the lightning-quick mouse typically dons. The filmmaker added the caption, \u201cGuess what movie I might be developing at Warner Brothers Pictures Animation<\/a>\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tA popular Looney Tunes personality for decades, Speedy Gonzales debuted in the 1950s, and his eponymous 1955 Merrie Melodies short won the Oscar for best animated short film. He is known for his impressive speed, quick wit and ability to charm the lady mice. Gabriel Iglesias voiced Speedy Gonzales in Warner Bros.<\/a>\u2018 2021 feature Space Jam: A New Legacy, where the character appeared alongside such other Looney Tunes staples as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.<\/p>\n

\n\tGuti\u00e9rrez, who was\u00a0born\u00a0in Mexico City and raised in Tijuana, is known for his talents as an animator, writer, producer, director and voice actor. He co-created the Emmy Award-winning Nickelodeon series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera and Emmy-winning Netflix limited series Maya and the Three. His feature directorial credits include The Book of Life<\/a>, the Guillermo del Toro-produced animated movie voiced by Diego Luna, Zoe Salda\u00f1a and Channing Tatum that 20th Century Fox released in 2014.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cJorge is a singular storyteller whose voice, artistry and cultural perspective make every project he touches feel both timeless and completely new,\u201d says Warner Bros. Pictures Animation president Bill Damaschke. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t be more excited to have him reimagining Speedy Gonzales, one of our most beloved Looney Tunes characters, for today\u2019s global audience.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tWarner Bros. had previously developed a big-screen take on Speedy Gonzales more than a decade ago, with Eugenio Derbez\u2019s casting as the voice star<\/a> reported in 2016. During a 2024 interview with United Press International<\/a>, the actor said that his movie was unlikely to get made, as the property was presumably seen as \u201cpolitically incorrect\u201d by studio brass.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe only ones offended are the Americans, but we love Speedy Gonzales,\u201d Derbez said at the time, referencing criticism over the years that the character presents a Mexican stereotype. \u201cHe\u2019s smart. He outsmarts the cats. He\u2019s a hero. He gets cheese for his people. He\u2019s fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSpace Jam: A New Legacy, which collected $163 million at the global box office, marks the most recent Looney Tunes theatrical feature that Warner Bros. has released. The studio\u2019s John Cena-led Looney Tunes film, Coyote vs. Acme<\/a>, had been scheduled to hit theaters in 2023, but after the movie was completed, its release was scrapped. Ketchup Entertainment ultimately acquired the Wile E. Coyote-focused project and will release it this summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tGuti\u00e9rrez is represented by UTA and Chatrone. <\/p>\n