‘Astro Boy’ Gets ScarJo, Becomes a Man

Published by Jeff Leins on June 25, 2008

Last week a list of actors were added to the 3-D animated film Astro Boy from Imagi Entertainment and distributed by Summit Entertainment.

The voices so far have all been male. Freddie Highmore (playing Astro Boy) will be joined by Nicolas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy (Davy Jones in Pirates), and Eugene Levy (American Pie).

It looks like a great mix so far. I asked last week if “Nic Cage did anything for anyone” and got zero responses. So either people didn’t feel like commenting or that pretty much sums up how they feel about him.

A week later Collider has word that Scarlett Johansson has joined the project. No official word on her role in the film.

If I had to guess, I would say she’s voicing the character of Uran/Zoran (in the original manga, the character’s name was Uran, but in the 2000 anime, it was Zoran). Uran is Astro Boy’s “cybernetic sister,” a superhuman android too with a “tomboyish, naive personality.” This is all from Wikipedia’s description of her. It also says she’s “fully capable of experiencing human emotions – though being somewhat less ‘mature,’ she sometimes expresses them by being naughty.” Yeah she does… Of course, this is just speculation.

Unfortunately they’re putting one of the most beautiful women on the planet behind a mic for voice over work. Is it possible to make just her section live-action? I’m gonna make a few calls.