Jolie ends maternity leave with Kung Fu

Washington: Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie is all set to return to work, after her maternity leave, and that too as a Kung Fu teacher in the computer animated comedy 'Kung Fu Panda'.


Jolie will join Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Dustin Hoffman and Ian McShane in the cast.

Jolie will play Tigress, a martial arts master who joins in training Black's Po the Panda in the art of Kung Fu. Jolie recently completed work on 'The Good Shepherd,' slated for release later this year, and is currently working on the Robert Zemeckis directed 'Beowulf,' which will be released in late 2007.

'Kung Fu Panda' features Jack Black as Po the Panda, a lowly waiter in a noodle restaurant, who is a Kung Fu fanatic but whose shape doesn't exactly lend itself to Kung Fu fighting, reports moviehole.

In fact, Po's defining characteristic appears to be that he is the laziest of all the animals in ancient China. That's a problem because powerful enemies are at the gates, and all hopes have been pinned on a prophesy naming Po as the 'Chosen One' to save the day.

A group of martial arts masters are going to need a black belt in patience if they are going to turn this slacker panda into a Kung Fu fighter before it's too late.

Slated for release in May 2008, 'Kung Fu Panda' is being directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne and produced by Melissa Cobb.