Donald Glover to Star as Simba in New Version of The Lion King

James Earl Jones will return as Mufasa.

By Alex Gilyadov

Disney's upcoming The Lion King live-action remake has found its lead.

Director Jon Favreau announced on Twitter that Donald Glover will play Simba, sharing a picture of the actor along with the words "I just can't wait to be king." Variety confirmed that the star is currently in talks with Disney.

Favreau also said on Twitter that James Earl Jones, who played Mufasa in the 1994 animated original, will return. "Looking forward to working with this legend," Favreau wrote along with the hashtag "Mufasa."

Favreau's tweets about Lion King casting

Disney and Favreau announced they'll be remaking The Lion King last year following the success of 2016's live-action The Jungle Book film. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales writer Jeff Nathanson will pen the screenplay, and the film's production is reportedly being fast tracked.

Favreau is also set to direct a sequel to The Jungle Book, and Donald Glover will play a younger Lando Calrissian in the Han Solo anthology film.

Alex Gilyadov is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter. 

Let's block ads! (Why?)