Actor will provide the voice of the mythical character, for family-friendly film I Hop

With his bright eyes, excitable demeanour and enormous appetite for sexual conquests, it looks like the perfect role: Russell Brand, court jester of British comedy and Hollywood ingenue, has been cast as the Easter Bunny.

Brand will provide the voice of the chocolate egg-bearing rabbit in a new family comedy based on a mix of live-action and CGI, titled I Hop. The story centres on a jobless slacker who runs over the Easter Bunny while driving home late, Variety reports. With the creature unable to fulfil his usual duties due to a broken leg, the man is forced into action to help save Easter. As they get to know each other while going about their work, it turns out the new comrades are both running from adulthood.

Tim Hill, who shot similar fare with last year’s hugely successful Alvin and the Chipmunks, will direct for Universal and Illumination Entertainment.

Producer Chris Meledandri said: “Russell showed me that he’s got a wonderful ability not only to be funny in his own body, but he can create humour vocally, which is the distinction we need for these movies,” Meledandri said. “This gives us an opportunity to re-mythologise the holiday around an Easter Bunny character that is as dynamic and irreverent as Russell is.”

The script is by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, who worked on another Illumination project, Despicable Me, which is in cinemas on 9 July in the US. Brand is part of a voice cast which includes Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig and Julie Andrews.

The former TV presenter is currently lining up a number of Hollywood projects, including Judd Apatow’s Get Him to the Greek, in which he reprises his role as British rocker Aldous Snow from last year’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and remakes of Drop Dead Fred, and Oscar-winning comedy Arthur.