After the insane box office of the first "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (over $200 million domestically), a big-screen follow-up was inevitable. There's no script yet and Variety reports that even a storyline has yet to be selected, but Fox knows what really matters: a release date.

March 19, 2010 is the day that computer-generated chipmunks will once again grace us with both their presence and their high-pitched singing voices.

Sadly, Variety points out that Jason Lee has to yet to sign on for the sequel. I say sadly only under the assumption that Fox may feel he's not the draw and are willing to discard him to save some money. If the fact of the matter is that he has no interest in another Chipmunks outing, I say more power to him.

The first film had the Chipmunks facing off against an evil corporation who would turn their songs into a soulless money-making venture only to triumph and realize that their owner, Dave Seville (Lee) was the one who really cared about them.

Here's to irony!

Click here to check out Variety's original story.