It’s the news that we’ve all been waiting for since the Jaden Smith-led Karate Kid remake: Jackie Chan is back on American theater screens. Okay, so it’s unlikely that you saw that Karate Kid—and it’s even less likely that you’d admit you did. Nevertheless, any Chan news is good news, even if we won’t get to see him in live action.
Chan has joined Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl and Maya Rudolph in the cast of The Nut Job 2, the sequel to the highest-grossing independent animated film of all time. The Rush Hour actor will portray Mr. Feng, the leader of a gang of city mice that is not as fluffy and harmless as he may seem. It’s unclear if Feng is friend or foe to Surly Squirrel, the main protagonist, who joins forces with a squad of animal misfits so they can save their home from demolition.
As Kung Fu Panda fans (aka all of us) will point out, it’s not Jackie Chan’s first foray into animation, making Nut Job a further extension of his natural comedic ability and voice acting chops. These chops have Nut Job director Cal Brunker excited, as he is confident that Chan’s “unique voice” will be a great boon to the sequel.
While I’d love to see the kung fu master perform some dazzling martial artistry alongside Chris Tucker or Owen Wilson, a fluffy yet dangerous mouse would probably be my second choice.
