Lucy Liu and Mark Hamill Give Voice to Afro Samurai: Resurrection

Spike TV has announced that its critically-acclaimed, funktastic anime series Afro Samurai is set to return with an original movie event set to premiere on the network in January 2009.

Afro Samurai: Resurrection stars Academy Award&#174-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson opposite, Emmy Award&#174-nominated actress Lucy Liu. Award winning artist The RZA once again provides the original score. Afro Samurai: Resurrection is produced by Japanese studio GONZO in association/partnership with GDH K.K. and FUNimation Entertainment.

Afro Samurai: Resurrection is based on the original art and story telling of manga artist Takashi Okazaki, of a black samurai's quest for revenge and justice for his murdered father. Samuel L. Jackson (The Spirit), who also serves as an executive producer, reprises his role as the uncompromising hero, Afro and his motor-mouthed sidekick Ninja Ninja. When his father's body is stolen from its grave, Afro is forced to pick up his sword and wreak bloody vengeance against an army of deadly foes lead by a sadistic mastermind.

Lucy Liu will give voice to Sio, a beautiful, seductive and sadistic mastermind plotting to destroy Afro Samurai. Liu is the star of several Hollywood blockbuster action-adventure films including Charlie's Angels and Kill Bill and has joined the cast of the ABC drama Dirty Sexy Money. Liu can currently be heard as Master Viper in the animated film Kung Fu Panda.

Additional casting includes Mark Hamill as Bin, Sio's manservant and protector and Yuri Lowenthal as Kuma, the teddy bear-headed warrior from the original "Afro Samurai" series. Best known as the young hero Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, Mark Hamill has had a successful career on Broadway, as a voice actor in both animation and video games and as a comic book creator. Yuri Lowenthal is the voice of Sauske in the hit children's anime series and cultural phenomenon Naruto.

Spike.com will air a sneak peek of the trailer for Afro Samurai: Resurrection starting Thursday, July 24 at 8:15 PM, ET, immediately following its world premiere debut at Comic-Con in San Diego.