Dreamworks Animation announced today that Leonardo DiCaprio has joined his first animated feature film, their upcoming release The Guardians. This is not to be confused with the Zack Snyder directed Warner Bros. release The Guardians of Ga’Hoole, as DiCaprio will be voicing Jack Frost. And Jack Frost is clearly not an owl.

Directed by Peter Ramsey (a story artist who has worked on Shrek the Third, Fight Club and other fine films), The Guardians tells the story of a group of holiday heroes — Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Jack Frost — who band together to take on an evil spirit called Pitch, who dares to take over the world by inspiring fear into the hearts of its children. The film will show that these “Guardians” are more than just holiday icons, all possessing special powers that will come in handy against this new form of evil.

It’s all based on a series of “highly anticipated” books by William Joyce. An interesting concept, to say the least — but fitting amongst the middling fare of Dreamworks Animation’s slate. Then again, I could be wrong — this could be the next Kung Fu Panda, but with Santa. The Guardians is scheduled for release on November 2, 2012.

Mel Gibson will direct and Leonardo DiCaprio will star in an untitled period drama about Viking culture. William Monahan is writing the script.

Graham King will produce with Gibson and Tim Headington in a co-production of King’s GK Films and Gibson’s Icon Prods. Shooting is expected to begin in fall 2010, meaning that if everything falls into place, it would be the next directing effort for Gibson.

There is no distributor at the moment, but Gibson and King often make their films outside the studio system and secure distribution later.

The principals confirmed the project but would not divulge many details. DiCaprio, who has long been fascinated by Viking culture, will play one in a storyline that will be as unsparing as Gibson’s other period directing efforts, “Braveheart,” “The Passion of the Christ” and “Apocalypto.”

The connective tissue is King.

The producer teamed with DiCaprio and Monahan in the Oscar-winning drama “The Departed” and just worked with Gibson and Monahan in the Martin Campbell-directed drama “Edge of Darkness.” King also just produced Monahan’s directorial debut, “London Boulevard,” the Monahan-scripted adaptation of the Ken Bruen novel, with Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley starring.

The Viking film will be DiCaprio’s first picture with Gibson.

“This will be an awe-inspiring story, created with some of the industry’s finest cinematic talent, and I am just over the moon to be making this film with Mel, Leo and Bill,” King said in a statement after the principals confirmed the project to Daily Variety.

Aside from “London Boulevard,” King and his GK Films just completed “The Rum Diary” with Johnny Depp and Aaron Eckhart and Emily Blunt starrer “The Young Victoria,” latter of which is being released this month by Bob Berney’s Apparition.

DiCaprio will likely take a film before putting on the Viking horns. He just completed the Christopher Nolan-directed “Inception” for Warner Bros. and will next be seen in the Martin Scorsese-directed “Shutter Island,” which Paramount releases Feb. 19. Gibson just completed the Jodie Foster-directed “The Beaver.” Gibson and Monahan are repped by WME, DiCaprio by Rick Yorn and Jennifer Killoran.