After the success of last year’s remake of The Jungle Book, Disney has decided to hit rewind on another one of its classics. For all of you hoping to see a live-action adaptation of your favorite lion-filled tear-jerker, it seems like you’re in luck. Jon Favreau has come back on board to direct a new version of The Lion King, and none other than Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, will star as the voice of Simba.
It’s not all new faces, however. James Earl Jones is returning to once again voice Simba’s father Mufasa. The original animated version of The Lion King premiered in 1994. That was followed by a musical stage adaptation, which premiered in 1997. There has been no announcement as to when we can expect to see the forthcoming live-action reboot in theaters.
After a break from acting following his stint on NBC comedy Community, Donald Glover has been hitting the screen world hard recently. He is currently starring in, co-writes, and created the FX hit series Atlanta, which recently garnered him two Golden Globes for Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy and Best Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy. He has also been cast as a young Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Star Wars Han Solo movie, which is set to be released in 2018.
However, all his time at casting calls hasn’t stopped him from working on new music. Glover released a new album as Childish Gambino back in December called Awaken, My Love.