Ian McShane hassinged on to star in LAIKA Entertainment and Pandemonium Films' stop-motionanimated children's story Coraline,which is being distributed worldwide by Focus Features.

As previously announced the cast includes Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, and theBritish comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

Coraline is based on a story byfantasy writer Neil Gaiman and charts the adventures of a girl who enters aparallel universe and encounters a sinister counterfeit mother.

McShane will voice the role of Mr Bobinski, an irascible Russian giant whoinhabits the alternate world.

Henry Selick is directing and LAIKA Entertainment's director of story MikeCachuela is serving as co-director.

"All the characters who inhabit Coraline's shadowy other world are surprisingand unpredictable," Selick said. "Mr Bobinski has an edge to him that is bothcomic and villainous, and Ian is the perfect actor to bring him to roaringlife."

McShane currently stars alongside Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman and ScarlettJohansson in Allen's comedy Scoop,which Focus opens on limited release in North American this weekend.

Pandemonium president and chief executive officer Bill Mechanic and LAIKAEntertainment's Mary Sandell are producing.