Cinematical

Just when you thought Astro Boy was never going to make it to the big screen, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We have received the official press release from Imagi Studios and Summit Entertainment (who are partnering for the flick) with the full cast for the anime update. Imagi finally found their lead in Freddie Highmore back in February and they have announced that joining Highmore in the cast are Nicolas Cage, Bill Nighy, Nathan Lane, and Eugene Levy. There is no word yet on which characters from the original series will be making an appearance, but I could definitely see Lane doing a respectable job as Hamegg.

Astro Boy is the story of a boy robot looking for love and acceptance after being abandoned by his creator. After a Pinocchio-like journey of servitude in a circus, Astro was whisked off to safety by the understanding Professor Ochanomizu. Of course, Astro also spent his time battling mad scientists and out of control robots in between bouts of abandonment issues.




There have been plenty of switch-ups since the project was first announced back in 2006, and by the time the film got rolling there had already been two different writers and directors attached. But after the first round of 'musical chairs', Imagi finally settled on Timothy Harris' script and Flushed Away's David Bowers at the helm. Now that the rest of the cast is filling out, it looks like they might make their original deadline after all.

Astro Boy is scheduled to arrive in theaters in 2009.