Huge Lion King Casting News!
Everyone keep calm.
Director Jon Favreau just made two huge casting announcements for Disney’s live action remake of ‘The Lion King’. Favreau, who is set to helm the film, took to Twitter for the news:
I just can’t wait to be king. #Simba pic.twitter.com/wUYKixMBJI
— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) February 18, 2017
Looking forward to working with this legend. #Mufasa pic.twitter.com/1LszbWrcYT
— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) February 18, 2017
That’s right, Donald Glover, the Golden Globe-winning creator and star of ‘Atlanta’ who also records music under the name of Childish Gambino, has been cast to play the adult Simba in ‘The Lion King’. Joining him is the legendary James Earl Jones, who will revisit the iconic role of Mufasa. He voiced the character in the animated film released in 1994.
Other details for the remake are still pretty sparse, though it’s expected to follow in the footsteps of Favreau’s previous Disney collaboration, ‘The Jungle Book’, in its use of CGI and green screen technology to bring the story to life. It’s the latest in a long line of Disney reimaginings like ‘Maleficent’, ‘Cinderella’, and the upcoming ‘Beauty and the Beast’.
For someone who may or may not have watched ‘The Lion King’ well into adulthood, this piece of casting news is monumental. Long live the King!
