Jack Black kung fu kicked his way into the Cannes Film Festival to promote his new movie.
The star of Dreamworks' animated feature Kung Fu Panda enjoyed a playful fight with men in giant panda suits when he arrived on the French Riviera for the annual industry shindig, which formally opens today. The School of Rock star provides the voice of Po, a lazy panda who learns martial arts to defend his valley from invaders.
The movie boasts star-studded voice talent including Angelina Jolie as a tigress, Lucy Liu as a viper, Jackie Chan as the wise kung fu master and Ian McShane (Lovejoy, Deadwood) as an evil snow leopard.
Like the latest Indiana Jones flick, Kung Fu Panda is being shown out of competition and will not be vying for the Palme d’Or.
City of God director Fernando Meirelles' new drama, Blindness, is one of the 22 films up for the prize. It stars Julianne Moore as a doctor’s wife who keeps her sight while everyone around loses theirs. Mark Ruffalo and Mexican actor Gael García Bernal co-star.
Clint Eastwood is also in contention with his child-abduction drama Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie. Eastwood will also present a public screening on the beach of a restored version of his 1971 favourite Dirty Harry.
The heavily featured (and pregnant) Angelina Jolie will attend the festival, which runs until May 25, as will many other big names, including Will Smith, Dustin Hoffman, Madonna, Woody Allen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bruce Willis, Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson.