'The Lion King' Live-Action Remake to Begin Production in May
With Disney enjoying critical and commercial success from the launch of live-action remakes of their animated classics in recent years, the film studio has every intention of continuing the trend by adapting its other animated classics into live-action movies.
Last week, it was announced that the live-action adaptation of "Dumbo" will commence production in April of this year. More recently, reports have revealed that the live-action remake of the Disney classic "The Lion King" will start production in May.
According to a report by Screenrant, My Entertainment World — a website which lists upcoming film projects — revealed the details about "The Lion King" production. Not only will work on the film reportedly begin sometime in May, it will also start off in Los Angeles. The website also published a synopsis for the film, which reads:
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"Set in the African Savannah, the story told of a young lion named Simba who loses his father Mufasa thanks to his evil uncle Scar, and is cast out into far reaches of the wilderness. Years later, he returns to reclaim his throne."
Prior to the news about the upcoming live-action remake's production start date, major rumors surrounding "The Lion King" had been scarce. Among the biggest news about the forthcoming film remake is the casting of James Earl Jones and Donald Glover. Jones will be reprising his role as Simba's father, Mufasa, having originally voiced the character in the 1994 animated film. Glover's voice, on the other hand, will be bringing adult Simba to life.
"The Lion King" live-action movie will reportedly be directed by Jon Favreau, who has had extensive experience in handling big budget projects such as "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2," and Disney's recent live-action adaptation of "The Jungle Book."
Disney has tapped screenwriter Jeff Nathanson to write the upcoming film adaptation. He was also in charge of the upcoming movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales."
"The Lion King" live-action remake has no official release date yet.
