Beyonce will voice Nala in Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King, Variety reported. The singer-songwriter also confirmed the news through a Facebook post.
Directed by Jon Favreau, who also helmed Disney’s The Jungle Book (2016), the film also stars Donald Glover as Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Alfre Woodard as Simba’s mother Sarabi, John Oliver as Zazu, John Kani as Rafiki, Florence Kasumba as Shenzi, Eric André as Azizi, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. James Earl Jones will reprise his role as Mufasa from the 1994 original, while JD McCrary and Shahadi Wright Joseph will play young Simba and Nala.
The live-action remake is scheduled to be released on July 19, 2019.
The Lion King (1994), was a coming-of-age story that traced Simba’s journey from lion cub to king. It was a crucial film in the Disney Renaissance, a period marked by the revival of the cultural, critical and financial relevance of the studio. The film was re-released in IMAX in 2002, and 3-D in 2011.