Nudity, violence, respected thespianism – Electronic Arts has unveiled the cast its upcoming Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, and it reads like a food pyramid of popular entertainment figures.
The live-action sequences driving the game forward will include a diverse cast of veteran actors, young up-and-comers and even a professional fighter or two, including George Takei of Star Trek and Heroes fame, former UFC Champion Randy “The Natural” Couture, Jonathan Pryce from Pirates of the Caribbean (although he was much better in Ronin) and respected character actor J.K. Simmons, who has played everything from a viciously predatory neo-Nazi to a harried Los Angeles police chief, but is probably best known for absolutely nailing the role of J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man movies.
“This is by far the most exciting cast we have in over 13 years of shooting live-action movies for Command & Conquer,” said EA Los Angeles Executive Producer Chris Corry. “The caliber of the performances we received, both individually and collectively, have really raised the storytelling bar for the franchise.”
“I think videogames are one of the new frontiers for actors and using live action is just another way to connect more easily to the gamer rather than CG or animation techniques,” added a surprisingly well-informed-sounding J.K. Simmons, who plays U.S. President Howard T. Ackerman in the game. “To be in a groundbreaking game like Red Alert 3 where we are using full-on shooting of live actors and to be with Jonathan Pryce, Tim Curry and Peter Stormare, it was a great opportunity for a character actor like me to have some fun.”
The full list of actors and athletes starring in the game includes:
Gemma Atkinson (Hollyoaks)
Gina “Conviction” Carano (Elite XC fighter and American Gladiator “Crush”)
Randy “The Natural” Couture (former UFC Champion)
Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show)
Andrew Divoff (Lost)
Kelly Hu (X-Men 2)
Jenny McCarthy (former Playboy Playmate of the Year)
Ivana Milicevic (Casino Royale)
Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Autumn Reeser (The OC)
Peter Stormare (Prison Break)
George Takei (I shouldn’t have to explain this one)
Fans of the franchise who purchase the limited Premier Edition will be able to see even more of the actors on a bonus DVD that includes interviews and behind-the-scenes shots of the game’s cinematic cutscenes. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is currently in development for the PC and Xbox 360, and is set for release in fall 2008. To learn more, go to RedAlert3.com.
