Tennis Superstar Makes Animation Voiceover Debut

 Saturday, February 17 in Kids' WB! Series on The CW

BURBANK, CA (JANUARY 12, 2007) - International tennis superstar Serena Williams makes her animation voiceover debut as "Queen Athena" in the Saturday, February 17 episode of Warner Bros. Animations' "Loonatics Unleashed," airing at 8:00 a.m. ET/PT in the Kids' WB! programming block on The CW Network.  (In some markets, the schedule may vary; check local listings for dates and times.)

The episode, entitled "Apocalypso," finds the Loonatics attempting to vacation on a tropical island, only to discover that it's been colonized by a race of beautiful, powerful women called the "Apocazons."  Queen Athena (voiced by Serena Williams) leads these women and invites Lexi to visit their "women only" temple.  Lexi is intrigued by their way of life - but when she discovers that the Apocazons have some devious plans for the planet (and its men), she has to find a way to warn the rest of the Loonatics before it's too late!

A dominant force on the court, Williams offers equally strong vocals as the prominent queen of an Amazon-like alien race.  The World Tennis Association's 2002 Player of the Year says her love of animation, and the obvious typecasting of her for the role, made it an easy first foray into cartoons.

"The character was described as being tall, strong, beautiful - so I guess that's how I got the role," she said with a sarcastic giggle. "I liked bringing my own character to the role. I've always thought of myself as a princess, but Athena is a queen. So I had to work it a little."

Williams admitted she drew on the muse of another "queen" in crafting her voicework on "Loonatics Unleashed."

"I was thinking about Queen Latifah, and her voice, and the work she's done recently in animation," Williams said. "so I was kind of drawing inspiration from that."

Starting July 8, 2002, Williams spent 57 consecutive weeks as the No. 1 ranked singles player in the world. Over the course of her career, Williams has won seven Grand Slam titles, including two each at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. She's made a smooth transition from the court to the small screen, appearing in guest roles on ER, The Division, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, My Wife and Kids and The Bernie Mac Show, to name a few.

"Loonatics Unleashed" is executive produced by Sander Schwartz and produced by Ron Myrick for Warner Bros. Animation.

A recognized leader in children's programming and the No. 1 Saturday morning kids broadcast lineup, Kids' WB! continues to be a unique destination for kids.  Kids' WB!, now airing on The CW Network, has been the broadcast home for such cornerstone hits as the blockbusters "Pokémon" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!," Emmy® Award-winners "Xiaolin Showdown" and "The Batman," culturally diverse series "Jackie Chan Adventures" and "¡Mucha Lucha! Gigante," and breakout hits "Loonatics Unleashed," "Legion of Super Heroes" and "Johnny Test," among other favorites.  Kids and their parents can find more information about Kids' WB! programming online at www.KidsWB.com.

Warner Bros. Animation has been producing award-winning original animation since 1930, when it released its first cartoon, "Sinking in the Bathtub." Since then, Warner Bros. Animation's characters have set the standard for innovative, quality animation. Producing for network and cable television, online, home entertainment and feature films both domestically and internationally, Warner Bros. Animation is highly respected for its creative and technical excellence, as well as maintaining the studio's rich cartoon heritage. Warner Bros. Animation is one of the most honored animation studios in history, garnering a grand total of six Academy Awards®, 34 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents' Choice Award, a Humanitas Award, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).

Contacts:

Gary Miereanu, Warner Bros. Animation, 818-977-7469

Paul McGuire, The CW/Kids' WB!, 818-977-0040