Kingdom Hearts 3, in addition to boasting many returning voice actors, will offer a wide array of new stars from various Disney and Pixar films. Haley Joel Osment (Sora), Tony Anselmo (Donald Duck), and Bill Farmer (Goofy) will have plenty of talent to contend with, as Kingdom Hearts 3 will feature voices from Frozen, Tangled, Toy Story, and other films.

It has been nearly 13 years since the release of Kingdom Hearts 2, the last main entry in the storied videogame series. Of course, the various "side" games are not quite optional - their plots will feed into the new game's storyline - but Kingdom Hearts 3 marks the series' return to home consoles. And while the past few months have supplied a steady trickle of gameplay footage, the game's January 2019 release date can still seem ages away. Now, however, fans can tide themselves over with news about the big-name voice talent that'll feature in the game.

Related: Kingdom Hearts 3 Confirmed as the Longest Game in the Series

Kingdom Hearts 3's Frozen talent includes Josh Gad (Olaf), Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), and Jonathan Groff (Kristoff); Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy will reprise their roles from Tangled as Flynn Rider and Mother Gothel, respectively; and among the Toy Story contingent are John Ratzenberger (Hamm) and Wallace Shawn (Rex). Tate Donovan will reprise his role as Hercules, who he has played in an assortment of Kingdom Hearts games, and Kevin R. McNally will voice Gibbs from the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

Kingdom Hearts 3 Release Date

There are still plenty of voice roles left unannounced, given that Kingdom Hearts 3 will also explore the universes of Monsters, Inc., Big Hero 6, and other Disney and Pixar classics. But with the list above, there's plenty of reason to be optimistic about the quality of the game's voice acting.

An element of the Kingdom Hearts series' charm has always been its distinct brand of voice acting, which can alternate between gripping, melodramatic, hammy, and devastating. Over the years, fans have had the unique opportunity to revisit beloved worlds with a largely consistent cast of voice actors - Osment, Anselmo, and Farmer as the heroic trio have been particularly lovable. Fresh talent is always welcome, though, and what better way to honor Disney and Pixar films than by featuring actors voicing the characters they originated? Kingdom Hearts 3 represents, in many ways, the translation of the series for a new generation that has grown up with a different body of films. But it's also, ultimately, the culmination of years of world-building and devoted playing - and it couldn't come soon enough.

More: 18 Long-Awaited Video Game Sequels Finally Releasing in 2018

Kingdom Hearts 3 will release on January 29, 2019 for PS4 and Xbox One.

Source: Square Enix