Idris Elba to lend his voice to a character in animated 'Zootopia' movie

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- British actor Idris Elba has joined the voice cast of the animated movie Zootopia.

Best known for playing a police detective on TV's Luther, the 43-year-old actor will lend his voice to the character of Chief Bogo, head of the Zootopia Police Department. His other film credits include Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Prometheus, Pacific Rim and Beasts of No Nation.

"We had so much fun casting this film," Zootopia director Byron Howard said in a statement on the Disney blog Monday.

"Zootopia features such a large and diverse range of characters -- one of our biggest casts ever for a Disney Animation film. We needed talented actors who could help bring these animals to life."

Co-director Rich Moore added, "Everyone in this incredible cast is bringing something special, something unexpected to their characters, which really takes our story to a whole new level."

Also featuring the vocal talents of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Jenny Slate, Alan Tudyk, Bonnie Hunt, J.K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer and Tommy Chong, the movie is about anthropomorphic animals from every environment living and working together. The film is set for release March 4.

Meet Assistant Mayor Bellwether, Bonnie & Stu Hopps, Chief Bogo, & Office Clawhauser, from #Zootopia! pic.twitter.com/7QKKjAVblK

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) October 26, 2015