There is some big casting news out of Hollywood today, with reports that your favourite actor and musician Donald Glover has been cast as Simba in Disney‘s upcoming remake of The Lion King!
Also … Disney is apparently doing a remake of The Lion King! What a time to be alive.
I just can’t wait to be king. #Simba pic.twitter.com/wUYKixMBJI
— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) February 18, 2017
Director Jon Favreau announced the casting news on Twitter earlier today, and also revealed that the legendary James Earl Jones, who lent his deep and soothing tones to the original 1994 animated film, will reprise the role of Simba’s dad Mufasa.
Favreau directed last year’s live action Jungle Book for Disney, and says that while his Lion King will be animated, it will attempt to capture and “build upon” the look of that film, which made very good use of green screen and CGI technology.
The director’s son is a fan of Glover’s musical project Childish Gambino, and Favreau told him this when the two appeared together at a panel discussion last year, saying:
“By the way, full disclosure: I see your face every day when I wake up my 15-year-old son because on his door is a portrait of you.”
It’s going to be a big couple of years for Glover who, in addition to his successful FX series Atlanta, has been tapped to play a young Lando Calrissian in one of the upcoming Star Wars spin-off films.
Source: Hollywood Reporter.
Photo: D Dipasupil / Getty / Disney.
