Nicolas Cage and Donald Sutherland to join Freddie Highmore, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy and Eugene Levy to Voice Roles in the CGI Animated Picture
LOS ANGELES and HONG KONG, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Entertainmentand Imagi Studios have entered into a global alliance whereby Summit willdistribute Imagi's upcoming CG-animated motion picture ASTRO BOY worldwideexcept for Imagi's reserved territories of Japan, Hong Kong and China. Theannouncement was made jointly by Rob Friedman, Co-Chairman and CEO of SummitEntertainment and Douglas Glen, CEO of Imagi Studios.
'We are pleased to join with Imagi Studios in bringing the exceptionalworld of ASTRO BOY to both existing and a new generation of fans alike,' saidFriedman. 'The team at Imagi Studios is capturing the spirit of this popularpost-modern franchise by doing great things with the story, characters andanimation. ASTRO BOY promises to be an excellent addition to our existingslate of family films.'
Glen said, 'ASTRO BOY has been one of the world's best-known and mostloved superheroes for more than fifty years. We are pleased to partner withSummit to deliver ASTRO BOY's first CGI feature film to worldwide audiences ona grand scale. Imagi and Summit are a great fit, with high energy,entrepreneurial cultures and a vision of building movie-driven global brands.'
Slated for worldwide theatrical release in 2009, ASTRO BOY will featurethe voices of Academy Award(R)-winning actor Nicolas Cage, Donald Sutherland,Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy and Eugene Levy with Freddie Highmore in the titlerole. David Bowers is directing ASTRO BOY from a screenplay written by TimothyHarris, with Maryann Garger producing.
ASTRO BOY was created by the 'god of manga', Japan's Osamu Tezuka, in theearly 1950s. The iconic character has since found wide popularity around theworld as the hero of three acclaimed animated television series spanning thepast four decades, besides being one of the top licensed properties formerchandising.
Set in futuristic Metro City, Imagi Studios' ASTRO BOY is about a youngrobot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist to replace theson he has lost.
