LOS ANGELES — Award-winning actor Jackie Chan has joined the cast of The Nut Job 2 with Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl and Maya Rudolph. The film is directed by Cal Brunker and written by Scott Bindley, Bob Barlen & Cal Brunker. The Nut Job 2 will be released in theaters by Open Road Films on May 19, 2017.
The Nut Job 2 is a sequel to the highly successful animated family film The Nut Job, which achieved the biggest box office opening ever for an independent, animated film and surpassed $120 million at the global box office.
The Nut Job 2 follows the adventures of Surly Squirrel when the evil mayor of Oakton decides to bulldoze Liberty Park and build a dangerous amusement park in its place. Surly and his ragtag group of animal friends need to band together to save their home, defeat the mayor, and take back the park.
His background in both comedy and action makes Jackie Chan the perfect fit to play Mr. Feng, the highly territorial leader of a gang of city mice. He may look cute and friendly, but beneath his fuzzy exterior lies a fierce and menacing master of Kung-Fu, and behind his big, but beady eyes, a weapon of mouse destruction bent on protecting his turf from any and all trespassers.
“We’re happy to announce the addition of Jackie Chan to the cast of The Nut Job 2,” director Cal Brunker said. “Jackie brings a unique voice to our movie, and it’s a real joy to be working with such a talented, award-winning actor and cultural icon.”
Jackie Chan’s career in entertainment has spanned more than five decades and he has been featured in over 100 films on both sides of the Pacific. A martial arts legend, Chan is renowned for his blend of action and comedy, most famously in the films Rush Hour (1998) and Shanghai Noon (2000), both of which went on to spawn on-going film franchises, and more recently in the reboot of The Karate Kid (2010). No stranger to animation, Chan has been featured in the critically acclaimed films Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2012), Kung Fu Panda (2008), as well as the Cantonese and Mandarin editions of Disney’s Mulan (1998), and even inspired his own animated series, Jackie Chan Adventures (2000-2005). As an entertainment veteran, Chan is a cultural icon in Hollywood, where he’s received various honors and awards at the Kid’s Choice Awards, People’s Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards, Hollywood Film Awards, and many more. He is one of the few Chinese actors to have his name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
