After months of speculation and rumours, Disney have officially announced the main voice cast for the live-action remake of their 1994 classic The Lion King.
Donald Glover and Beyonce lead a largely African American cast as Simba and Nala, with Alfre Woodard playing Simba’s mother Sarabi. James Earl Jones is the only actor returning from the original, once again providing the vocal talent for Mufasa.
British actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and John Oliver will be taking over the roles originally performed by fellow Brits Jeremy Irons and Rowen Atkinson – playing Scar and Zazu respectively – while Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner will be providing comic relief as Timon and Pumba.
Rounding out the cast is Florence Kasumba, Eric Andre and Keegan-Michael Key as the three hyenas, along with JD McCrary as Young Simba, Shahadi Wright Joseph as Young Nala and John Kani as Rafiki.
There’s no trailer yet, but journalists were shown early footage at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California.
The Lion King will be directed by Jon Favreau and is scheduled for release on 19th July 2019.