Beyoncé Joins 'The Lion King' Cast
It’s official. Beyoncé has joined the star-studded cast of The Lion King.
The singer will voice Simba’s best friend Nala in the upcoming live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, the studio announced today.
In March, Variety reported that Beyoncé was Disney’s top choice and they were willing to accommodate her busy schedule. At the time, she was pregnant with twins.
#TheLionKing. 2019. pic.twitter.com/UMJo18FwDt
— Disney (@Disney) November 1, 2017
The all-star cast, which was revealed in full today, includes Donald Glover (Simba), James Earl Jones (Mufasa), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), and Alfre Woodard (Sarabi). Other cast members include Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Eric Andre (Azizi), John Oliver (Zazu), John Kani (Rafiki), and Billy Eichner (Timon).
Jon Favreau (Iron Man, The Jungle Book) will direct, while Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can, Rush Hour 2) is writing.
The Lion King is set to hit theaters in summer 2019. The 1994 original grossed more than $968.5 million, making it one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time.