Freddie is Astro Boy

Surprisingly under the radar (especially considering his body of work is even more impressive than the queen of preternaturally talented child actors, Dakota Fanning) British thesp Freddie Highmore has signed on to voice the titular character in Imagi Studios upcoming CG-animated feature ASTROBOY, an adaptation of the Osamu Tezuka series of the same name. In an effort to save time and promote laziness, here’s a breakdown of the plot, courtesy of Imagi’s press release: “Set in futuristic Metro City, AstroBoy, is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist to replace the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving father’s expectations, our hero embarks on a journey in search of acceptance, experiencing betrayal and a netherworld of robot gladiators, before he returns to save Metro City and reconcile with the man who had rejected him.” The film’s set for release in 2009.