The Hollywood trades are reporting that Anna Faris (Observe and Report), Dan Ackroyd (Ghostbusters), and Justin Timberlake (Open Road) will be featured in Warner Bros.’ Yogi Bear movie.  The Yogi Bear film, which starts shooting next month in New Zealand, is a live action/CGI hybrid.  Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth) is directing the movie, which is being produced in 3-D.

Faris will play a documentary filmmaker who is attempting to capture the antics of the “smarter than the average bear” in his natural habitat, the pic-a-nic basket-rich environs of Jellystone Park. Ackroyd will voice the character of Yogi, whose unique vocal stylings (produced in the original Hanna-Barbera cartoons by Daws Butler) were closely based on Art Carney’s Ed Norton from The Honeymooners.  Timberlake is in talks to voice Yogi’s smaller, but much smarter, sidekick Boo Boo.

Variety reports that Brad Copeland penned the final draft of the screenplay.  The original script for the Yogi Bear movie was written by Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia (see “Warners Plans Yogi Bear Feature“).

In addition to his long run on the small screen Yogi Bear has been featured in comic book series published by Gold Key, Charlton, Marvel, Harvey, Archie, & DC Comics.