When one mentions the name Zoe Saldana, we immediately think of an actress who portrays action girls, with her having risen to prominence in three action-packed film franchises: the JJ Abrams “Star Trek” reboot film series where she’s Lieutenant Uhura, James Cameron’s “Avatar” as Neytiri, and Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy” as Gamora. That’s not bad for somebody who started out as a dancer in a theatre troupe.
But now there’s some news that just came in regarding an upcoming role for Saldana, one for voice acting even. But what really tickles the funny bones is exactly what franchise she’ll be appearing now: none other than Hasbro’s runaway hit “My Little Pony”. And it’s a movie.
It’s on, every-pony
I kid you not, Neytiri/Uhura/Gamora is going to be providing a voice for a feature-length animated adventure with those oh so adorable talking ponies, unicorns, pegasi and alicorns that took the world of animation by storm and remains a strong franchise with a hilariously fringe but sizable demographic. Saldana has been cast for the movie which is being co-produced with Hasbro (through their Allspark Pictures production arm) by Lionsgate, which has brought to the screen some of the most popular franchises in recent years like “The Hunger Games”, “The Expendables”, the “Twilight” saga (via their acquisition of Summit Entertainment) and the upcoming “Power Rangers” reboot film.
No word yet on what her character’s going to be, much less if it’s even going to be another four-legged cutie.
Surprisingly star-studded cast
“My Little Pony: the Movie” shouldn’t be confused with a similarly-named movie from 1986 featuring the early-generation “My Little Pony” characters. This one stars the “Mane 6” from the “Friendship is Magic” series that launched in 2010, and its spin-offs. That means the well-loved voice actresses who’ve carried the main characters of the series are back in full force for the film, with Tara Strong, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, Ashleigh Ball and Cathy Weseluck reprising their roles. But also joining the cast as movie-original characters (aside from Saldana) are Michael Peña, Liev Schreiber, Taye Diggs, Sia and Emily Blunt.
Plot details of the “My Little Pony” film released thus far have main characters Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity undertaking a journey beyond their world of Equestria, meeting new characters along the way. The movie will be helmed by “Friendship is Magic” supervising director Jayson Thiessen, and will be released by Lionsgate on November 3, 2017.