I remember watching Leonardo DiCaprio in THE BASKETBALL DIARIES when I was younger, but as impressed as I was by that performance, I never would have guessed he'd become such an accomplished actor a decade later. He's worked in a number of genres, but his resume has remained animation-free. Until now.

The actor has officially joined the voice cast of THE GUARDIANS, a DreamWorks Animation production scheduled for release in 2012. He'll voice the character of Jack Frost, who's been portrayed in other movies, but never like this. Joined by other fictional characters, he'll be kicking ass and taking names.

Here is the official synopsis from DreamWorks:

"When an evil spirit called Pitch becomes bent upon taking over the world by inspiring fear in the hearts of kids everywhere, a group of our greatest heroes—Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Jack Frost—band together for the first time, determined to stand in Pitch’s way. More than a collection of storybook subjects, “The Guardians” are also a band of superheroes, who possess their own special powers. Now joined in opposition of a common foe, the Guardians heed the call and combine their powers to defeat Pitch and protect the world from his campaign of fear."

What makes this project truly unique is its source. It is based on an upcoming book series from writer William Joyce, titled "The Guardians of Childhood." I assume DreamWorks is looking for a solid franchise here, which, considering that most other studios are doing the same, isn't odd. But usually, they go after books or stories with a following, not unreleased works.

Source Slash Film