Back in August of 2011, Eddie Murphy was signed to voice the lead character in a film adaptation of "Hong Kong Phooey," the popular '70s cartoon about a kung fu-fighting dog. From director Alex Zamm, the live-action and animation hybrid would tell the story of Penry (Murphy) a mild-mannered canine given special powers, a sidekick named Spot the cat and the will to fight crime.
Sixteen months later, with the status of "Hong Kong Phooey" still a mystery -- some blogs have already written off its development -- Zamm has released test footage from the project to give fans an opportunity to see what it could have looked like.
The clip shows Penry displaying a variety of kung fu moves and one-liners. (Yes, he drinks out of the toilet.) Penry's voice is suspiciously Murphy-like, though it's unclear whether Murphy himself collaborated on the test reel or if a Murphy impersonator was used.
In addition to "Hong Kong Phooey," Zamm was also working on a "Marvin the Martian" feature film. That film was first discussed in 2009, with Mike Myers named as a possibility to voice Marvin. The Christmas-set film was initially scheduled to arrive in theaters in December of 2011, but that never materialized. Zamm's test footage for "Marvin the Martian" can be seen in the video as well, following the "Hong Kong Phooey" clip.
[via Cartoon Brew]
