Veronica Mars actress Kristen Bell is set to play a vocal role in the upcoming animated feature film presentation by Warner Bros., Astro Boy.  The film is directed by David Bowers and is based on the classic Osamu Tezuka comic series, which began as a Japanese manga and later was drawn into a cartoon in the early ‘60s.  It was then recreated in the ‘80s and most recently, in 2003.

The main character is a robot boy who was created by a professor in memory of his dead son.  The story is set in the futuristic Metro City, where humans and robots peacefully co-exist.

While no announcement has been made about which character Bell will be playing, Zap2It reports that she will be joining other cast members such as Nicolas Cage, Scarlett Johansson, Donald Sutherland, Billy Nighly, Nathan Lane and Eugene Levy in the film, which is set to be released next year.  Moreover, the lead character will be vocally portrayed by Freddie Highmore, who previously starred in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and August Rush.

Meanwhile, we also recently reported that talks are still underway for that highly-anticipated Veronica Mars movie, which creator Rob Thomas is still fighting for, according to Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello.  In fact, Ausiello himself couldn’t put it any simpler: the project may be on its way to being approved, and all it needs is a push by the fans to the right direction.

Rob Thomas added that while it may be difficult for him to focus on the film project because of his current endeavors, he promises fans that it will be his “first priority” once his desk is cleared.

Meanwhile, fans wait in the wings for any other news about the film project to materialize.  Kristen Bell will still be appearing on the upcoming third season of Heroes, where her character, Elle, will delve deeper into her dynamic relationship with super woman Claire (Hayden Panettiere).


-Valerie Anne del Castillo, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Zap2It, Entertainment Weekly
(Photo courtesy of WireImage)