Top baseball players will have cameo roles in director Kim Yong-hwa’s upcoming flick “Mr. Go,” about a gorilla that plays baseball, the film’s producer Showbox/Mediaplex said.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Choo Shin-soo make brief appearances in a baseball game scene in the movie about a young Chinese girl named Weiwei who moves to Korea with her gorilla after her grandfather ― the only family she had ― passes away.

Weiwei’s late grandfather owned a circus troupe, and her gorilla, named Ling Ling, was trained to play baseball the way human batters do. He and Weiwei soon get discovered by a Korean agent, who eventually debuts Ling Ling in Korea’s professional baseball league.

Ryu and Choo agreed to appear in the film as they have been friends with director Kim for a while, Showbox/Mediaplex said. Doosan Bears players Hong Seong-heon, Kim Sun-woo and Kim Hyun-soo also have cameos in the film. In the movie, Ling Ling becomes a rookie batter for the Bears, a professional baseball team.

According to Showbox/Mediaplex, “Mr. Go” is the first full 3-D film made in Korea, and features a CG-animated gorilla as its protagonist.

“Mr. Go” is slated to open in theaters on July 17.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)