Beyoncé will play the role of Nala in the upcoming live-action remake of Disney’s classic animated film The Lion King, alongside an A-list cast including Donald Glover, James Earl Jones, Chiwetal Ejiofor, John Oliver and Seth Rogen.
The singer posted the full cast list to her Facebook account, confirming rumours circulating since March that she had been offered the role of the female lead in the Jon Favreau-directed remake. The list was also shared on Disney’s Twitter account.
The announcement rounds out the primary cast, which includes Donald Glover playing the lead role of Simba, the young lion learning how to be king. James Earl Jones reprises his role from the 1994 animated version as Simba’s father, Mufasa, and Alfre Woodard plays Simba’s mother, Sarabi.
Last Week Tonight talk show host John Oliver will play the hornbill Zazu, originally voiced by Rowan Atkinson, while Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen will play the comical meerkat and warthog team, Timon and Pumbaa.
#TheLionKing. 2019. 🦁👑 pic.twitter.com/UMJo18FwDt
— Disney (@Disney) November 1, 2017
Young Simba and Nala will be played by up-and-comers JD McCrary and Shahadi Wright Joseph.
Chiwetal Ejiofor, star of Twelve Years A Slave, will take on the role of villainous Scar, first performed by Jeremy Irons. His sidekick Shenzi, originally voiced by Whoopi Goldberg, will be played by Florence Kasumba, most recently seen as Senator Acantha in Wonder Woman.
Disney announced it was creating a live-action update of the 1994 hit film last year.
The Lion King remains one of the highest grossing animated films of all time. Unlike other recent live-action Disney remakes, such as Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella, the story contains no human characters, so it remains unclear how a live-action version will look – although Favreau was also at the helm of the successful live-action reprisal of The Jungle Book.
