The Lion King Revisited is an upcoming American drama film directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a computer animated remake of Disney's The Lion King franchise, particularly The Lion Guard. The film features the voices of Gabrielle Union, Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Alfre Woodard, Jason Marsden, Eden Riegel, Lacey Chabert, Joshua Rush, Diamond White, James Earl Jones, and Max Charles.
Plans for a reboot of The Lion King were confirmed in July 2019 following the incoming success of Favreau's live-action remake. Much of the main cast signed in September 2019 and principal animation began in mid-2019 in Los Angeles. Composers Hans Zimmer, Elton John, and lyricist Tim Rice, all of whom worked on the original's soundtrack, returned to compose the score alongside Beau Black and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, who assisted John in the reworking of the soundtrack. Christopher Willis also composed the film's score when Zimmer was not available at certain times. It is dedicated to the memories of Andrea Arruti and Luis Alfonso Mendoza, who provided Spanish dubs for Makini and Goigoi in The Lion Guard.
The film received mixed reviews from critics; praise was led to the vocal performances, the musical score, visual effects, and action sequences, while the film's story and retold pacing were criticized. It is scheduled to be released in 2020.
Plot
A young lion named Simba is to succeed his father, Mufasa, as King of the Pride Lands; however, after Simba's paternal uncle Scar murders Mufasa, Simba is manipulated into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile. After growing up in the company of the carefree outcasts Timon and Pumbaa, Simba receives valuable perspective from his childhood friend, Nala, and his shaman, Rafiki, before returning to challenge Scar to end his tyranny and take his place in the Circle of Life as the rightful King. Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara falls in love with Kovu, a male rogue lion from a banished pride that was once loyal to Scar.
Kion is the son of King Simba and Queen Nala, the younger brother of Kiara and the prince of the Pride Lands. As the second-born of the Lion King, he is gifted with a power called the Roar of the Elders and becomes the leader of the Lion Guard, a team of animals who protect the Pride Lands and defend the Circle of Life. Kion, along with his friends Bunga the honey badger, Beshte the hippopotamus, Fuli the cheetah and Ono the egret, sets out to keep the Pride Lands safe and protected from animals who do not respect the Circle of Life.
Following a threat message of revenge by Scar, the Lion Guard prepare to invade the Outlands by uniting the Pride Landers and a clan of hyenas led by Jasiri. In the final battle, the Pride Landers overpower a huge army of Outlanders, but Scar and Ushari incapacitate Kion, who obtain a scar across Kion's left eye. Weakened, the Great Kings of the Past lend him their strength. Scar attacks him with his roar, but Kion deflects it using his roar, killing Scar indefinitely, without causing the volcano to erupt according to Scar's previous plan.
After Scar's defeat, the Lion Guard travels out of the Pride Lands of Africa and across the world to get to the Tree of Life to cure Kion and Ono from their battle injuries. Kion's team also gets a new member, a martial eagle named Anga who replaces Ono's position as the new keenest of sight after Ono lost his eyesight, while Ono gains a new position as the smartest. Separated by Simba's prejudice against the banished pride and a vindictive plot planned by Kovu's mother Zira, Kiara and Kovu struggle to unite their estranged prides and be together.
The Lion Guard returns to the Pride Lands, only to find out that the conflict has already been settled. Zira's daughter and Kovu's older sister, Vitani, forms her own Lion Guard in their absence, causing an argument between them and Kion's Lion Guard. However, after seeing Vitani's confidence in becoming a leader even without the Roar, Kion allows Vitani's Lion Guard to succeed his Guard as defenders of Pride Lands. Kion and his friends return to the Tree of Life where Kion marries Rani and is crowned King of the Tree of Life with his close family and friends attending. Makini closes their wedding by holding their newborn cub.
Voice cast
- Gabrielle Union as Nala, Simba's childhood best friend and future love-interest. Moira Kelly was credited as Union's double. Beyoncé provided the character's singing voice. Shahadi Wright Joseph voiced Nala as a cub.
- Union also voiced Ãnanda, Rani and Baliyo's deceased mother.
- Matthew Broderick as Simba, the crown prince of the Pride Lands. Rob Lowe was credited as Broderick's double. Donald Glover provided the character's singing voice. JD McCrary voiced Simba as a cub.
- Broderick also voiced Sâhasí, Rani and Baliyo's deceased father and Janna's first-born son.
- Jeremy Irons as Scar, the treacherous brother of Mufasa and the uncle of Simba who seeks to take the mantle of king. David Oyelowo was credited as Irons' double.
- Nathan Lane as Timon, a wise-cracking and loyal meerkat who befriends and adopts a young Simba after he runs away from home.
- Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, a naive common warthog who befriends and adopts a young Simba after he runs away from home.
- Khary Payton as Rafiki, a wise mandrill who serves as the shaman of the Pride Lands and a close friend of Mufasa's.
- Payton also voiced Muhangus, an aardvark and the leader of his shoal.
- James Earl Jones as Mufasa, the king of the Pride Lands and the father of Simba. Gary Anthony Williams was credited as Jones' reader.
- Max Charles as Kion, Simba and Nala's second born cub, Mufasa's grandson, the Prince of the Pride Lands and the leader of the Lion Guard as well as its fiercest member.
- Jason Marsden as Kovu, the youngest child of Zira, the brother of Nuka and Vitani, and Scar's chosen heir. Kenny Lattimore provided the character's singing voice. Josh McCrary, the younger brother of JD McCrary, voiced Kovu as a cub, replacing Ryan O'Donohue.
- Eden Riegel as Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, and Kion's older sister. Neve Campbell was credited as Riegel's reader. Liz Callaway provided the character's singing voice. Tara Strong voiced Kiara as a cub, replacing Michelle Horn.
- Sarah Hyland as Tiifu, a lioness, and a friend of Kiara's. She is shown to be kind and patient, as seen when she comforts an overreacting Zuri. Bailey Gambertoglio was credited as Hyland's reader.
- Nika Futterman as Zira, the mother of Nuka, Kovu, and Vitani. She is Scar's most loyal follower, and plots to avenge Scar's death by forming the Outsiders.
- Diamond White as Fuli, a cheetah, one of Kion's friends and the fastest member of the Lion Guard, as well as its first female member. She is quite prideful in her running abilities and shows extreme delight for being able to outpace a pursuer of any species.
- Maia Mitchell as Jasiri, a friendly female spotted hyena.
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Basi, a hippopotamus who is Beshte's father and leader of his and his son's pod.
- Lynette Dupree as Ma Tembo, an adult African bush elephant with a broken right tusk, who attains leadership of her father Aminifu's herd after his demise.
- Michael Dorn as Bupu, a stubborn sable antelope who is the leader of the herd and values polite behavior.
- Blair Underwood as Makuu, a young, sleek, and well-built Nile crocodile who leads the crocodile float that lives in the Pride Lands after defeating the previous leader Pua in battle.
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Janna, the former queen of the Night Pride, mother of Sâhasí and Surak, and grandmother of Rani and Baliyo.
- Andy Dick as Nuka, the eldest child of Zira and the older brother to Vitani and Kovu.
- Lacey Chabert as Vitani, the middle child and only daughter of Zira.
- Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, Mufasa's mate, Simba's mother and Kiara and Kion's paternal grandmother.
- Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Rani, the leader of the Night Pride and love interest of Kion.
- Madison Pettis as Zuri, a lioness and one of Kiara's friends. She appears to be vain about her appearance, as she constantly sharpens her claws on trees in order to keep them shiny.
- Edward Hibbert as Zazu, a red-billed hornbill and majordomo to Mufasa and later Simba.
- Bryana Salaz as Anga, a martial eagle who takes over as the keenest of sight of the Lion Guard from Ono.
- Joshua Rush as Bunga, a honey badger, Kion's childhood best friend and the bravest member of the Lion Guard. He is also the adoptive nephew of Timon and Pumbaa.
- Landry Bender as Makini, a young mandrill who is Rafiki's new apprentice.
- Whoop Goldberg as Shenzi, the ruthless and cunning matriarch of her hyena clan with no-nonsense attitude and air of authority.
- Sinbad as Uroho, a sneaky yellow baboon who is the leader of Traveling Baboon show.
- C.J. Byrnes as Tamaa, a fork-tailed drongo who can imitate the voice of any animal.
- Eric Andre as Azizi, a dim-witted hyena.
- Keegan-Michael Key as Kamari, an aggressive and hot-headed hyena prone to complaining and acting on impulse.
- Maurice LaMarche as Kifaru, a white rhinoceros with poor eyesight.
- Howy Parkins as Mbeya, an old black rhinoceros who is the leader of his crash.
- Virginia Watson as Vuruga Vuruga, a Cape buffalo who is the leader of her herd.
- Watson also voiced Muhanga, Muhangus' mate, and Mbuni, a cheerful ostrich.
- Ron Funches as Ajabu, an okapi who came to the Pride Lands to get away from Makucha and made friends with Beshte.
- Vargus Mason as Cheezi, one of Janja's right-hand henchmen. He is an excitable hyena who is usually seen sticking his tongue out.
- Andrew Kishino as Janja, the cunning and aggressive leader of the hyenas in the Outlands.
- Kevin Schon as Chungu, one of Janja's right-hand henchmen. He is an unintelligent hyena who has a tough attitude and a slightly heavier build than the other hyenas.
- Schon also voiced Thurston, a dimwitted plains zebra who is the leader of his herd.
- Dusan Brown as Beshte, a hippopotamus, one of Kion's friends and the strongest member of the Lion Guard.
- Atticus Shaffer as Ono, a cattle egret, one of Kion's friends and the smartest of the Lion Guard, as well as its first non-mammal member.
- Julie Kavner as Ma, Timon's mother. Generally encouraging and optimistic, she believes in Timon and convinces Uncle Max to give him a job as a sentry or look-out.
- Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max, a prominent member of the meerkat colony and relative of Timon and Ma.
- Kari Wahlgren as Muhimu, a plains zebra who is the leader of her herd.
- Wahlgren also voiced Shupavu, a sneaky skink, and Laini, a galago in Ndefu Grove.
- Christian Slater as Ushari, an Egyptian cobra who often conflicted with Bunga and would get disturbed whenever the Lion Guard was near him.
- John O'Hurley as Hadithi, a legendary African hawk-eagle who faked having invented the Hadithi Spin.
- Tunisia Hardison as Swala, a Thomson's gazelle who is the leader of her herd.
- Phil LaMarr as Shingo, a Masai giraffe who is part of Twiga's herd.
- LaMarr also voiced Goigoi, a jackal who only thinks with his stomach and has the tendency to fall asleep.
- Common as Kiburi, a former member of Makuu's float.
- Jacob Bertrand as Chama, a young fun-loving African bush elephant who used to be part of Ma Tembo's herd. He, Mzaha, and Furaha are best friends and share a tree together near Big Springs.
- Cade Sutton as Mzaha, a young fun-loving sable antelope who used to be part of Bupu's herd and is one of Chama's friends.
- Mekai Curtis as Furaha, a young happy-go lucky Zanzibar red colobus and former member of Tumbili's troop who is one of Chama's friends.
- Gerald C. Rivers as Pua, an elderly Nile crocodile who originally led the crocodile float, until he is defeated by Makuu in a "mashindano" battle for the position of alpha male.
- Behzad Dabu as Azaad, a prideful cheetah that the Lion Guard encounter in his canyon during their journey to the Tree of Life.
- Nick Watt as Zito, a grouchy and impatient African bush elephant who is part of Ma Tembo's herd.
- Erica Luttrell as Boboka, a sable antelope who is part of Bupu's herd.
- Alex Cartañá as Twiga, a Masai giraffe who is the leader of the herd.
- Maisie Klompus as Madoa, a spotted hyena who is Jasiri's sister and is part of her clan.
- Jaime Camil as Pinguino, a macaroni penguin who lives at the Tree of Life and is the leader of his rookery.
- Christopher Jackson as Shujaa, a large adolescent mountain gorilla warrior who was sent to the Pride Lands by King Sokwe of the Theluji Mountains to help Kion, Fuli, Ono, Bunga and Beshte to fight and defeat the army of Scar.
- Jackson also voiced Kitendo, the father of Makini.
- Dee Bradley Baker as Baboon Leader, an olive baboon and leader of his troop.
- Baker also voiced Tano, a sloping, but devious, and smart hyena.
- Lou Diamond Phillips as Surak, Janna's second-born son and Rani and Baliyo's uncle.
- Michael Luwoye as Askari, a lion and the leader of the original Lion Guard who was the second-born of the unnamed king and queen and a distant relative of Mufasa, Simba, and Kion.
- Hudson Yang as Baliyo, Rani's younger brother.
- Miki Yamashita as Nirmala, the Night Pride's healer.
Additionally, Rhys Darby voices Mwenzi, a red-billed oxpecker as Kifaru's tickbird and best friend. Justin Hires cameos as Hodari, a blue electric gecko. Penny Johnson Jerald reprises her role from the 2019 remake of The Lion King as Serafina, Nala's mother. Rachel Crow, Fiona Riley, Sophie Reynolds, and Savannah Smith provide minor roles as Imara, Shabaha, Tazama, and Kasi, the members of Vitani's Lion Guard. Heather Headley voices Fikiri, Makini's caring mother, and John Rhys-Davies voices Sokwe in a minor role, and YouTube personalities Dan Howell and Phil Lester voice Sokwe's sons Majinuni and Hafifu. Justin Felbinger voices Mtoto, an elephant that looks up to Beshte as his personal hero. Greg Ellis voices Mzingo, a vulture who is Janja's majordomo, and Cam Clarke cameos as Mwoga, Mzingo's spy.
Members of the Army of Scar includes Nolan North as Tamka, a brutish, yet unintelligent crocodile loyal to Kiburi; Jorge Diaz as Nduli, an optimistic crocodile; Jacob Guenther as Dogo, one of Reirei and Goigoi's sons who uses his innocent looks to his advantage to win the trust of others in order to take advantage of them; Amber Hood as Kijana, Reirei and Goigoi's daughter; and executive producer Ford Riley as Njano, a crafty, blue-tongued skink who is Shupavu's second-in-command. Beau Black voices Nne, a stout but sly and smart hyena. Fiona Hart voices Wema, a female hyena cub, and Crimson Hart voices her sister, Tunu. Story writer Elise Allen cameos as Kulinda, a hamerkop. Animals of the Tree of Life cameos for the film's climax are Vyvan Pham as Ullu, Meghan Strange as Astuto, Tiffany Espensen as Rama and Heng-Heng, David S. Jung as Tsah and Kely, Bluebelle Saraceno as Pasha and Polina, Iris Bahr as Varya, Henry Kaufman as Feliks, G.K. Bowes as Sasem, Jeremy Ray Valdez as Cek, Danny Jacobs as Kiril, and Rafael Petardi as Tangaagim.
Production
TBD
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 70% with an average score of 6.2/10. On Metacritic, it holds a rating of 52%.
Trivia
TBD
Goofs
TBD
Credits
- Main page: The Lion King Revisited/Credits
Gallery
- Main page: The Lion King Revisited/Gallery
