The Nut Job is getting bigger! I'm sure you already know that Katherine Heigl, Will Arnett and Brendan Fraser are all on board for the upcoming animated film which comes from director Peter Lepeniotis, but the good news is that Liam Neeson (yes, Neeson!) has joined the project as well! Now is the perfect moment for us to say – this heist gets nuts!
Based on Lepeniotis' 2005 short animation Surly Squirrel, The Nut Job is set in the late 1950s and revolves around a mischievous squirrel who has been banned from the city park because of his bad attitude. He and his pals then plan to rob Maury's Nut Store in order to survive the winter.
According to the latest reports, Neeson will lend his voice to a raccoon villain, and director Lepeniotis sounds pretty excited about his involvement in the whole thing:
Having the distinguished Liam Neeson lend his talents as the raccoon villain is the perfect finishing touch. His contribution fulfills that dramatic need in our comedy adventure. It's an honor working with him.
The rest of The Nut Job cast also includes Stephen Lang, Sarah Gadon, and comedian Jeff Dunham.
Lepeniotis is making his directorial debut with this project while the screenplay comes from is Lorne Cameron who wrote Brother Bear.
The Nut Job is currently in production and expected to hit the theaters in 2013.
