Fans of Jackie Chan are in for a treat. The 64-year-old martial artist and actor will take on roles of both executive producer and the voice of an elderly cat sage in the upcoming animated feature film "Once Upon a Zodiac."
Set in a mystical, wondrous world populated with Zodiac creatures, "Once Upon a Zodiac" follows the one-of-a-kind adventure of a tiger, rat, and dragon - representing strength, smart and courage - who are brought together by fate. Together, the trio set out to solve mysteries and help the Grand Council conquer chaos and distrust to usher their world into a bright new future.
Jackie Chan will voice Zell, an elderly cat sage who talks with wisdom and balanced charisma. The character has long embraced the role of the cats as stewards of the Zodiac, and maintainers of the traditions and balance between the other animals.
"We are proud to have Jackie Chan part of this film as an executive producer," Galen Walker, who is producing "Once Upon a Zodiac" along with Hong Kim, said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. "We are captivated by Jackie Chan's talent and the leadership that he brings to our animated film."
The upcoming animated feature film is written by Daniel Persitz and Devon Kliger. It is a production of Toonbox Entertainment and GAMA Entertainment along with Galen Walker and Hong Kim producing.
This is not the first time Jackie Chan has been tapped to lend his voice to an animated film. In fact, he notably voiced Master Monkey in the popular "Kung Fu Panda" franchise, Mr. Feng in "The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature," Mr. Liu / Master Wu in "The Lego Ninjago Movie," and the heroic Li Shang in all three Chinese language versions of Disney's "Mulan." He also starred in his own animated series, "Jackie Chan Adventures."
In addition to "Once Upon a Zodiac," Jackie Chan will also reprise his iconic role as Hong Kong Police Force Chief Inspector Lee in the much-awaited fourth installment of the popular "Rush Hour" franchise. He will be joined by actor Chris Tucker as Los Angeles Police Department Detective James Carter.
However, the fourth installment of "Rush Hour" is currently in its pre-production. Thus, no release date has been set yet.
While waiting, fans can check out Jackie Chan in the upcoming Russo-Chinese fantasy adventure film, "Viy 2: Journey to China." The film, which also stars Jason Flemyng, Charles Dance, Rutger Hauer, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, is set to be released on Jan. 27, 2019.
