Jim Belushi Cast As Lion In Animated Oz

Jim Belushi has found the courage to be the first one cast in Alpine Pictures’ upcoming animated film “Dorothy of OZ.” He will voice the Cowardly Lion. This is the first of a series of films made from the books of children’s author Roger S. Baum, great grandson of L. Frank Baum, author of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”Belushi, who currently stars in ABC’s “According to Jim,” has had voice rolls in movies and TV shows such as Hoodwinked, The Wild, Rugrats, Snow Buddies, and The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. He’s been in live-action films including Curly Sue, Mr. Destiny, Red Heat, About Last Night, and The Principal, as well as two seasons on “Saturday Night Live.” Ryan J. Carroll, CEO of Alpine, told SFcrowsnest, “I’ve been a huge fan of Jim’s for many years and am pleased and excited to be working with a fellow Chicagoan on this project.” Dorothy of OZ is being produced by Bonne Radford (Curious George, The Road to El Dorado, and Balto), directed by Daniel St Pierre (Everyone’s Hero, Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey, and Sheepish) and cast by Mathew Jon Beck (CSA) (The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc.).