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Actress
Brittany Murphy will be the Walt Disney Co.'s
first-ever voice for Tinker Bell, giving the gift of speech to
the precocious winged creature who until now communicated via
facial expressions and jingling. The iconic green sprite is returning to the screen in a
direct-to-video film slated for release next year as part of
Disney's new "Fairies" line of products, which the company
touted on Tuesday at the Licensing 2006 International Show in
New York. Decked out in a tight pink dress and pink Christian
Louboutin heels, Murphy, the star of "8 Mile" and "Just
Married," looked every bit the curvaceous Tinker Bell vixen as
she smiled for a throng of cameras at the event. "How could one possibly say no to Disney and being the
voice of Tinker Bell?" the 28-year-old actress said in an
interview with Reuters. "I thought maybe I'm too spunky or
gritty, but that's who Tinker Bell is." The creation of author and playwright J.M. Barrie, Tinker
Bell spent the last hundred years fluttering about Peter Pan,
jealous of Wendy Darling but never speaking up -- until now. "Anyone that can steal the screen without a single word of
dialogue certainly deserves a film of her very own," said
Disney Studios Chairman Richard Cook. Murphy, whose earliest childhood memories include listening
to her mother read Barrie's book, said she thought it important
for the famous fairy to finally have her own voice. "She's such a strong, vibrant, feisty personality, an
incredible role model for young women," said Murphy, who also
provides the voice for the character Luanne Platter on the
animated Fox television show "King of the Hill." "She's been jingling for 50 years and communicating all of
her thoughts and all of her strength and all of her humor
through jingling light. Finally, she's able to communicate
through words," she told Reuters. Disney's "Fairies" merchandise franchise rolled out last
fall and follows on the success of the company's "Princess"
line, which reached sales of $3 billion in fiscal 2005. Disney expects the Fairies line, aimed at girls aged 4 to
11, to generate at least $1 billion in annual sales within 4
years, Disney spokesman Gary Foster said.
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Peter Pan's feisty, but previously
mute, flying fairy sidekick has finally found her voice. 
