ADVERTISEMENT
Filtered By: Showbiz
Showbiz

Live-action ‘Lion King’ movie casts Mufasa, Simba

By MICHAEL LOGARTA

Yes, there’s going to be a live-action “Lion King” film. That probably shouldn’t come as a surprise by now; Disney, after all, is responsible for live-action versions of “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Jungle Book,” and the upcoming “Beauty and the Beast” (and we’ll be getting “Mulan,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Dumbo,” “Peter Pan,” and “The Sword in the Stone” further down the line”).

Well, it appears the role of Mufasa has already been cast, and it’s none other than James Earl Jones, who provided the voice work for the same character in the original 1994 classic animated movie. Jones is also famous for his iconic role as Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” movies.

Additionally, Donald Glover will be voicing adult Simba (in the original film, young Simba was voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and adult Simba by Matthew Broderick). Glover’s filmography is modest, but he has been cast as a young Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Han Solo movie.

The reveals were made by director Jon Favreau on his Twitter page.

 

 

 

 

Of course, we all know Favreau as the man behind critically acclaimed hits such as “Chef” and “Iron Man.”

He also directed the aforementioned “The Jungle Book,” another well-received film which made over $965.8 million globally. The movie is noted for its amazing photorealistic CGI animals. “Lion King” will most likely go the CGI route as well—only this time, the movie won’t include any humans at all.

Favreau’s got his work cut out for him. The original “Lion King” was a massive success, grossing over $968 million and winning numerous Academy Awards. Its soundtrack also won Grammy Awards.

Disney seems to have faith in him, though, thanks to his impressive directorial work—which is probably why the company has also hired him to direct “The Jungle Book 2.” Neither “Lion King” nor “The Jungle Book 2” have release dates, as of now. — BM, GMA News

Tags: lionking, disney
Most Popular