MUMBAI: Audiences eager to see Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming summer family comedy Underdog will be glad to hear that the original creators of the show attended the premiere in New York and gave it their own enthusiastic two thumbs up.

“Disney has taken the themes and the spirit of the characters from the original series and adapted them beautifully,” said Buck Biggers, co-creator and music composer of the original Underdog cartoon series. “To me, Disney has surpassed expectations in bringing our loving hero to the big screen. There’s no better way to ensure that the movie would be open to all audiences, especially families, than having Disney adapt it.”

“Underdog was a character and a series that was designed for kids of all ages, and the lead character is a kid himself, just a very powerful one,” stated Joe Harris, co-creator and illustrator of the original series. “The screening I attended was filled with children who seemed to love the movie, which means quite a lot to me because this franchise has been so close to my heart over the years.”

Originally created in 1960 by the advertising team of Buck Biggers, Chet Stover and illustrator Joe Harris, Underdog has become a pop-culture icon which continues to delight audiences everywhere. Footage from the original series can be seen at the beginning of the film and Classic Media recently released The Ultimate Underdog DVD Collection Volumes 1-3 on DVD.

Combining the voice talents of comedian Jason Lee and Oscar nominee Amy Adams with director Fredrik Du Chau’s vision, Underdog updates the classic franchise by combining live action cinematography with state-of-the-art CGI visual effects. “I don’t think a true live-action Underdog movie would have been possible until today,” continued Biggers. “Modern visual effects and new technologies are able to bring the characters to life in a way that would not have been possible when we created the series.”