Kristen Bell Cast in Astro Boy

Today the trades announced that Kristen Bell will voice the lead female character in the CG-animated feature film Astro Boy for Warner Bros. She will be joining an already impressive cast including Nicolas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Bill Nighy, Nathan Lane, Eugene Levy and Freddie Highmore.

Set in futuristic Metro City, Imagi Studios' Astro Boy is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist to replace the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving father's expectations, our hero embarks on a journey in search of acceptance, experiencing betrayal and a netherworld of robot gladiators, before he returns to save Metro City and reconcile with the man who had rejected him.

Astro Boy is not really as well known here in the states as he is in Japan where he is refered to as "the god of manga". I am assuming this is the way they really want to introduce the franchise to the U.S. Well they certainly have the voice talent to make an impression. This film is obviously going to have to rely on a very good script to make it. Usually a very skilled director can work out the kinks but when its animated that is not always the case. We'll keep you up to date on this.