Hollywood Flocks to Kingdom Hearts
Square Enix and Disney trawl Hollywood for voice talent and come up with more than a handful of household names for their trouble.
Whether it's Final Fantasy mixed with Tron or a black-and-white level based on Mickey's debut in Steamboat Willie, Square Enix is hoping to answer every Disney-related dream you've ever had with Kingdom Hearts II.
The cast of Disney characters in the PlayStation 2 crossover RPG sequel now spans most of Disney's animated features and ventures into live-action films such as Pirates of the Caribbean and even Tron. And to better settle you into the game's bounty of worlds, Square Enix has brought in top-notch talent from Hollywood to put voices to its characters.
As in the original game, the lead trio of Sora, Riku and Kairi is again voiced by Haley Joel Osment (Sixth Sense), David Gallagher (7th Heaven) and Hayden Panettiere (Racing Stripes).
Square Enix has managed to get several stars to reprise their movie roles, including James Woods (Hades in Hercules), Ming-Na (Mulan) and Zack Braff (Chicken Little).
Other big names confirmed to appear include: Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Christopher Lee (Lord of the Rings trilogy); Rachel Leigh Cook (She's All That); and Gwendoline Yeo (Desperate Housewives).
Kingdom Hearts II will be out only for PlayStation 2 on 28 March in North America and should hit Europe later this year.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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