Hollywood loves talking dogs. And I guess a lot of moviegoers love them too, because otherwise Hollywood wouldn't keep making them. Later this summer, we have a super-powered talking dog in Underdog and in two years, we'll be getting a super-sized talking dog movie called South of the Border. I say super-sized because the live-action Disney movie is going to have a lot of talking dogs in it. Drew Barrymore will be voicing the lead dog, a pampered Beverly Hills Chihuahua named Chloe, who ends up lost in Mexico while on vacation with her owner (Piper Perabo). As you'd expect, the little dog meets a bunch of new friends to help her find her way.

Most of the other dogs will be voiced by Latino actors, including Salma Hayek, who plays a spirit guide who helps Chloe learn her Hispanic roots, and George Lopez, who plays another Chihuahua who attempts to woo Chloe. Other unspecified roles have been cast with Cheech Marin (who voiced the cartoon Chihuahua character in Disney's Oliver & Company), Paul Rodriguez, Plácido Domingo, Edward James Olmos and Eddie 'Piolin' Sotelo. Andy Garcia will also be voicing a dog, one which doesn't seem to be of the Latino variety. The Cuban actor is voicing an ex-K-9 German Shepherd. I assume that the character will have a German accent (as long as they're going so racial) and that he will end up the true love interest for Chloe -- though I don't think this is physically appropriate.

Back in May, when Patrick first told us about South of the Border, it wasn't even certain that the movie would feature talking dogs. But with Scooby-Doo director Raja Gosnell attached it seemed inevitable. Barrymore is no stranger to voicing animated characters (Family Guy; Titan A.E.; Curious George), but I have to admit I find the actress' speech rather irritating when it isn't accompanied by her adorable baby-face. But then, I did just get off a plane where I listened to -- but did not watch -- Music and Lyrics (my contacts weren't in; my glasses broke on vacation; etc.), a movie with such insipid dialogue that even Laurence Olivier would sound awful speaking in it.

Anyway, coming off bombs like Music and Lyrics and Lucky You, taking a somewhat anonymous part in South of the Border is probably a good move for Barrymore right now. The only thing better for her to do would be to play another villain. Let's just hope that South of the Border writers Jeff Bushell and AnaLisa LaBianco (as well as apparent rewriters David Kidd and Ron Burch) are able to come up with some quality lines for her to say this time. Other projects Barrymore may be lining up include Grey Gardens (based partly on the doc, but not on the Broadway musical, it seems) and He's Just Not That Into You, which she's producing and hopefully starring in.

Tags: andy garcia, AndyGarcia, cheech marin, CheechMarin, cinematical, drew barrymore, DrewBarrymore, edward james olmos, EdwardJamesOlmos, film, george lopez, GeorgeLopez, movies, oliver and company, OliverAndCompany, piper perabo, PiperPerabo, salma hayek, SalmaHayek, scooby-doo, south of the border, SouthOfTheBorder, underdog