The Lion King Reborn

The Lion King: The Special Edition Cut is an upcoming American 2018 film distributed by Disney, released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, and directed by Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff, Darrell Rooney, Rob LaDuca, and Bradley Raymond.

Featuring songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, the film features an ensemble voice cast starring Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Matt Weinberg. The film also marks the last film appearance of Robert Guillaume who died in October 2017 as the film dedicates his memory.

It is scheduled to be released in 2018 sometime.

Premise
A lion cub named Simba is born to be King of Pride Rock. But suddenly, he gets banished by his uncle Scar after killing his brother and Simba's father Mufasa in a wildebeest stampede and takes over the throne. To get back to his home to be King, Simba will need help from his former friend Nala, his new friends Timon and Pumbaa, his shaman, Rafiki, and to learn about his past.

Plot
A large number of animals gather around Pride Rock in Africa witnessing the arrival of newborn cub Simba, the son of King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi (Madge Sinclair). As Rafiki (Robert Guillaume), a baboon who baptized Simba, watches the animals heading from the Four Winds, he suddenly asks the audience if they have heard the story before. He then tells them that they don't know the half of it.

Timon (Nathan Lane) was one of the worst meerkat diggers underground. While his mother (Julie Kavner) has always been sympathetic and encouraging of Timon, his Uncle Max (Jerry Stiller) is more skeptical and embarrassed by his nephew. Timon's mother convinces Uncle Max to give Timon a job as sentry. The job results in disaster when Uncle Max narrowly escapes being eaten by a group of spotted hyenas Azazi, Shenzi and Kamari (Jim Cummings, Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin). Timon loses the little respect he had from is colony and leaves, hoping to find his place in the world.

On his journey, Timon meets Rafiki who tells him that he seeks "Hakuna Matata" (interpreted as "No Worries") and tells him how to get there. Timon mistakes Rafiki's words of wisdom as an actual place located at Pride Rock. Along the way, Timon meets a warthog named Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) for the first time. Unfortunately, Timon was scared of predators which made Timon and Pumbaa scream loudly when they bump into each other.

The adventures of Timon and Pumbaa begin to coincide with the presentation of Simba at this point. When they walk through the herd of animals witnessing the presentation of the new-born Simba, Pumbaa becomes a victim of his demophobia-triggered flatulence problem and the terrible smell makes a few animals collapse. The animals at the front see this and believe that the fallen animals are bowing, and soon, they all bow together, too. Timon and Pumbaa continue their journey and find a new home near Pride Rock.

The next morning, the king's brother Scar (Jeremy Irons) is displeased with the birth of Simba, the future King. As a young cub, Mufasa teaches Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) about being King. While touring Pride Rock, Simba asks about a shadowy place, and Mufasa tells him it is forbidden. The lesson is stopped when Zazu (Rowan Atkinson/Edward Hibbert), the king's majordomo hornbill adviser, informs him that hyenas have entered the Pride Lands. Mufasa tells Zazu to take Simba home while he gets rid of the hyenas. Later that day, Scar tells Simba that the shadowy place is in fact an elephant graveyard.

Simba's curiosity is piqued, and he convinces his best friend Nala (Niketa Calame), a female lion cub, to come with him. Sarabi sends Zazu to keep an eye on the two cubs, but they soon leave him behind by singing "I Just Can't Wait to be King". Timon and Pumbaa are disturbed by some noise from outside, which is actually Simba, Nala, Zazu, and the animals singing. Timon gets mad and hits the leg of an elephant supporting a tower of animals. The elephant jumps in surprise and causes the tower to collapse, which ruins Timon and Pumbaa's home setting them off to find another home. The cubs finally reach the elephant graveyard, where they come upon Azazi, Shenzi and Kamari. On the way, as the hyenas chase after the cubs, Timon and Pumbaa travel to the Elephant Graveyard and witness Mufasa saving Simba, Nala and Zazu from the hyenas. Mufasa sends Nala and Zazu back to Pride Rock, and admonishes Simba before teaching him about the stars. Simba learns that these stars represent the great Kings of the past who will always be there to guide him, including his father. Meanwhile, Timon and Pumbaa, who travel deeper into the graveyard, Scar plots with the hyenas to take over Pride Rock by killing both Mufasa and Simba. Timon and Pumbaa witness an army of hyenas marching to "Be Prepared," and the duo "Riverdance" away. On Scar's orders, the hyenas cause a stampede by chasing a herd of wildebeest into a gorge where Scar tells Simba to wait. Timon and Pumbaa also end up in the gorge only to encounter the stampede. Mufasa learns of Simba's predicament and braves the wildebeests by leaping into the gorge and carrying Simba to safety.

However, as Mufasa attempts to flee by climbing the gorge's walls, he is stuck and ask his younger brother for help, but Scar grabs Mufasa's paws and says, "Long live the king.". He then lets go of his brother, causing him to fall to his death. When Simba sees his father falling, he, unaware of Scar's actions, is completely horrified and then goes back into the gorge to find him once the stampede has past. In the midst of it all, Timon and Pumbaa fall down a waterfall and Timon suffered a flashback with his late father, Fearless Buzz, about living with no hyenas. In reality, Simba yells for his father and spots him lying on the ground. He tries to wake Mufasa up, but soon realizes that his father is dead. Scar, meanwhile seeing his nephew still alive, approaches him and tricks Simba into thinking that Mufasa's death resulted from the cub's carelessness. Ashamed, Simba flees the Pride Lands, intending to never return. Scar then orders the hyenas to kill Simba, but he manages to escape through a pack of thorn bushes.

The hyenas then yell to him that if he ever returns, they'll kill him. Later in the night, Scar returns to Pride Rock and breaking the terrible news of Mufasa and Simba's death. In Simba's absence, Scar steps forward announcing Mufasa and Simba's death to the pride, and becomes the new king. Also that night, Timon and Pumbaa wash up on shore. Just as Timon is about to give up, they find themselves a large, luscious empty jungle in which they make their new home.

Meanwhile, Rafiki walks over to the Pit of Shame and talks to Ma about "Hakuna Matata" and how Timon went to go beyond what he sees. Ma mistakes it for a metaphor until she suddenly gets nervous and decides to go on a journey to find her son. Rafiki reminds her that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Her first step was a squarely-jump on his foot.

As Timon and Pumbaa were building a jungle arcade, they try "bowling for porcupines", but the game fails with quills being in Timon's butt. They suddenly see buzzards flying in and then, they decide to try one more game. Simba collapses in the wasteland after his escape, but is found by the duo. They nurse him back to health and take him in, teaching him their motto, "Hakuna Matata". He then stays with them. During Scar's reign, the Pride Lands becomes a wasteland. As a adolescent Nala (Moira Kelly) came up with Rafiki and the lionesses, they guide her on her journey to find Simba. Back at the jungle, Simba (Matthew Broderick), who has grown as a adolescent, challenges Timon in a snail eating contest. Simba wins with Timon losing. As months past, Simba talks to Timon and Pumbaa about that the great Kings of the past look down on them. The duo laugh but Simba leaves, sadly on a ledge where milkweed floss flew into the air. It flew all the way to Rafiki, who finds out that Simba is alive in the jungle.

One day, Simba, Timon and Pumbaa are playing football with a dung beetle. As Timon thew the beetle into Pumbaa's mouth, they seperate to find a new beetle. The duo are walking through the jungle singing "The Lion Sings Tonight", Pumbaa notices a rhino beetle walking by and stalks it in preparation to eat it, but sees a lioness stalking him in the grass and runs for his life. When Timon finds Pumbaa, he asks whats wrongs and sees the lioness chasing him. Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa just in time from the lioness and discovers that she is Nala. Simba learns from Nala that Scar's irresponsibility as the Great King of Pride Rock is leading to the suffering of its inhabitants. As they start to take a moment together, Timon and Pumbaa try everything to stop Simba from falling in love with her, but didn't work. Although they fail, Timon is happy when he notices Simba arguing with Nala and wresting with himself. Still feeling guilt over Mufasa's death, Simba refuses to return. The wise Rafiki tracks Simba down and summons Mufasa's ghost for Simba. His ghost informs Simba that he must return to Pride Rock and become king; Simba refuses, but Mufasa's ghost tells him to remember that he is his son and the one true King.

The following morning, Timon and Pumbaa are sleeping about splitting Simba and Nala. But she wakes Timon, who thinks he is being attacked by carnivores and starts screaming, accidentally waking Pumbaa. She calms them down, and Timon tells her to never do such things again. At this moment, Rafiki appears on a nearby tree and announces that Simba has returned to Pride Rock. Timon is not clear as to what he said just as he disappeared. Nala frustratedly explains that Simba has gone back to challenge his Uncle Scar to take his place as king. But the two were dumbfounded. She tells the two that Simba needs their help in order to defeat Scar. Thinking Simba ran out on him, Timon decides to stay behind, which causes him to break his friendship with Pumbaa, who wants to help. Rafiki indirectly talks sense into Timon and finds Pumbaa to restore his friendship with him.

Simba returns to Pride Rock with Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa, who all agree to help him fight. While Timon and Pumbaa distract the hyenas, they lead the hyenas into a cave where Pumbaa lets out a humongous fart at the them to flee from the cave. Suddenly, Ma and Uncle Max emerge out of the ground to see Timon from years ago since he left the colony. Simba confronts Scar on Pride Rock. Scar forces Simba towards the edge of Pride Rock to kill him, informing him that HE killed King Mufasa. Enraged at this realization, as Simba leaps back up and pins Scar, s Timon and Pumbaa begin to get worried. Ma offers to help and Timon quickly instructs her and Uncle Max to dig a trap. While they're constructing the tunnels, Timon and Pumbaa would lure the hyenas away from Simba. Simba forces his uncle to reveal the truth to the rest of the pride. A fight ensues with the lionesses, Timon, Pumbaa, Timon's family, Rafiki and Zazu against the hyenas. Thanks to Timon's quick thinking, the hyenas roll down a tunnel just in time into the trap. As Ma starts to worry that his son is dead, Timon emerges out of the trap and Ma amazingly embraces him and hailed him as a hero. He tells his mother that he found his place but something is still missing – his colony. Simba confronts Scar alone at the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs Simba for mercy, accusing the hyenas of planning Mufasa's death. Despite Simba sparing Scar, the lions fight, resulting in Simba throwing Scar off the cliff. Scar survives the fall, but is attacked and killed by the hyenas, who overheard his attempt to betray them.

With Scar and the hyenas gone with the flames, Simba is greeted by Nala, the pride, Timon, Pumbaa, Timon's family, Zazu, the mole and Rafiki. Simba walks up Pride Rock and heard Mufasa's ghost appears in the clouds, then Simba roars in which all the lionesses join. Sometime later, after Simba becomes the new King of Pride Rock, it was time to show the meerkat colony of what it's like to live with no hyenas. Timon, his family, Pumbaa and Simba went to the Pit of Shame to tell them they don't have to dig tunnels anymore and that there is no more hyenas to worry. A few days later, Timon and Pumbaa return to their jungle paradise, bringing Timon's entire meerkat colony with them. The meerkats now have a safe, work-free, predator-free place to call home and Timon is hailed a great hero.

The next day, Timon, his family and Pumbaa had to leave the jungle again because it was the presentation of King Simba and Queen Nala's newborn daughter Kiara, a ceremony which the ghost of Mufasa proudly watches over.

Meanwhile, in the "Outlands", Zira (Suzanne Pleshette), the leader of the "Outsiders", was having a birth to a new-born cub, Kovu. Her other children, Nuka (Andy Dick), her teenage son, and Vitani (Lacey Chabert), her daughter were planning to see that Kovu may finish for what Scar started and to kill Simba.

Some time passes and Princess Kiara (Michelle Horn) runs from her overprotective father and her suffocating babysitters Timon and Pumbaa and sneaks across the borders of King Simba's kingdom to the Outlands, where she encounters a grown cub Kovu (Ryan O'Donohue). The two soon get into trouble when they find themselves in a river surrounded by crocodiles. Luckily, Kovu distracts them long enough for he and Kiara to escape.

Kiara and Kovu become friends and Kiara tries to initiate a game of tag, only to find Kovu has no idea how to play. In a bid to relax him, she playfully growls, but when Kovu reciprocates, King Simba immediately appears out of nowhere. Kovu's mother Zira, who had been quietly watching from the bushes, also emerges. The two face off as Nala along with Timon, Pumbaa and two other lionesses, appears and they say each other's names with deep contempt. After introducing themselves, Timon orders Zira to get out of their Pride Lands Zira reveals that the Outsiders were exiled by Simba for remaining loyal to Scar, and that Kovu was Scar's heir to the throne – and therefore a threat to Simba. However, Simba is unwilling to hurt a cub and orders the duo to leave, much to Kiara and Kovu's dismay. As they journey home, King Simba scolds his daughter for breaking the rules and endangering herself, reminding her that one day, she will be a queen.

Meanwhile, in the Outlands, Zira's teenage son Nuka complains to his younger sister Vitani about Kovu being the Chosen One, when as the "oldest, smartest, and strongest" (as he describes it), the honor should have be his. At that moment, Zira returns and scolds her two sons. She mocks Kovu's claim that he and Kiara could be friends. She then realizes that, by using Kiara, Kovu could get close enough to Simba to murder him and take the throne. Thus, he can avenge Scar's death. Alone in his tree, Rafiki communicates with Mufasa's spirit and voices his fear of Zira and mistrust of Kovu, brought up with hate in his heart. Mufasa, however, has his own plan: Kiara and Kovu will be together and unite the two prides.

Time passes and Kovu (Jason Marsden) grows into an young adult. He is molded by Zira into the perfect assassin, with only one goal in mind: kill Simba. Kiara (Neve Campbell) has also grown, and, keen to go on her first solo hunt, makes Simba promise he will let her do it alone. However, Simba sends Timon and Pumbaa after her to ensure her safety. Kiara is unable to catch anything, but is furious at her father when she finds he has lied and sent his friends to track her. Nuka and Vitani (Jennifer Lien) watch the events before lighting a series of fires (which they got from The Elephant Graveyard) around Kiara, trapping her. Kiara faints from the smoke as Kovu appears, as part of Zira's plan, and carries her back to the Pride Lands. Though angry at first that he has interfered, Kiara soon recognizes her old friend. However, Simba, drawn by the sight of smoke, appears, along with Nala. Kovu lies and claims that he has left the Outsiders to become a rogue and asks to join Simba's pride.

Simba is suspicious of Kovu's story and motives. However, he is forced to acknowledge that he owes Kovu a debt which must be paid according to Mufasa's law. He allows Kovu to stay at Pride Rock, but makes him sleep outside the den, separate from the pride. Despite this, Kiara thanks him for saving her and the two arrange for him to give her a hunting lesson the next morning. That night, Simba dreams his father's death in the stampede. In it, Scar holds Simba back to prevent him from reaching Mufasa, sinisterly telling Simba to trust him. As Mufasa falls to his death and Simba mourns for a brief moment and then gets angry at his uncle, a laughing Scar morphs into Kovu (which shocks Simba), who throws Simba from the cliff to his death. Immediately, Simba wakes up and is a bit scared, only to look around and realize it was just a dream and then he goes back to sleep.

The next morning, Kovu at first tries to sneak up and kill Simba, but is interrupted by Kiara and misses his chance. Kovu teaches Kiara to hunt properly, but they stumble on Timon and Pumbaa, whose favorite feeding ground has been taken over by birds. They enlist the help of the lions to scare the birds off, but it soon turns into a game. Kovu, who has never played or had any real fun in his life, is confused by this new "training", but quickly starts to enjoy himself. Whilst chasing the birds the group run into and are chased by a herd of rhinos but escape from them.

That night, as Kovu and Kiara stargaze, he questions whether Scar is considered one of the "Great Kings of the Past", and Kiara is visibly startled. He confesses that although Scar wasn't his real father, he was still a part of who he is, but Kiara tells him that part may be the darkness that made Scar evil. As Kiara and Kovu embrace, Simba watches unseen and asks Mufasa for guidance as he is lost. Nala tells him that although Simba wants to walk the path expected of him, Kovu may not and should be given a chance. As Simba leaves with Nala to ponder this, Kovu tries to pull away from Kiara, almost confessing his part in the plot against her father. Despite Kiara's pleas, he attempts to leave, but Rafiki stops him. The mandrill then leads Kiara and Kovu to a place called "Upendi", where he helps the two lions fall in love. After Kovu and Kiara return home that night, Simba proves himself by inviting Kovu to sleep inside with the rest of the pride. Vitani watches Kovu give up a prime opportunity to murder Simba and reports back to Zira. Angered, Zira states that Kovu cannot betray them and moves onto another plan.

The next day, Kovu resolves to confess his true intentions to Kiara; however, he is unsure if she will believe him, but has to try anyway. Before he can do so, King Simba shows up and tells Kiara he doesn't want her talking with Kovu because he wants to talk with him, which makes Kiara brighten up. Winking at his daughter, Simba takes Kovu aside for a private conversation, with Kiara happily watching from a distance. Later, Simba and Kovu walk into the area that had been burned in the earlier bushfire, and Simba tells Kovu the true story of Scar. Kovu finally realizes that he has been lied to, but Simba reassures him that, like the green grass springing through the ash, what is "left behind can grow better than the generation before – if given the chance." Suddenly, Zira decides to take matters into her own paws and she and her pride surround Simba and Kovu and she teasingly asks Simba what he is doing out in the area "so alone". Then Zira congratulates Kovu for bringing Simba with him, "just like they've always planned." Believing Zira's words, Simba angrily turns on Kovu as he thinks Kovu tricked him and was behind the plan; in response, a scared Kovu truthfully denies this, but Simba won't listen to him.

Zira orders her pride to attack Simba, and Kovu immediately butts in to try and rescue Simba, only for Vitani to kick him out of the way into a rock, knocking him out. Zira then organizes an ambush against Simba in a desperate attempt to finish him. The Outsiders chase King Simba into a gorge, where he begins to scale a wall of logs to escape. Having woken up, Kovu rushes to Simba's aide and tries to help him, ignoring Zira's orders to get Simba. After Kovu runs off, Nuka, in an attempt to prove himself, impress his mother, and humiliate and degrade his brother, tries to follow and finish Simba off for Zira. He manages to grab hold of Simba's left heel, causing him pain. Nuka is overjoyed as this is now his "moment of glory"; however, he slips and is crushed by the logs. Kovu, who had watched the scene from above, tries to dig him out, but is shoved roughly aside by his mother. Zira lifts up a log to see her eldest son barely alive. He apologizes for failing her before dying. Zira blames Kovu for Nuka's death and slashes him across the face, scarring Kovu in an identical manner to Scar. Kovu defies his mother for the first time and runs back to the Pride Lands. Zira tells the other Outsiders that Simba has turned Kovu against them and declares war, laughing evilly.

Meanwhile, Simba has escaped, but is badly injured. Luckily, Kiara, Timon, and Pumbaa find him and take him back to Pride Rock. Kiara refuses to believe that Kovu could be behind the attack, but she is the only one. Kovu returns and begs forgiveness. Simba refuses and exiles him, and the other animals drive him out. Simba forbids Kiara to leave Pride Rock without an escorted and says that he knows that Kovu is following in Scar's paw prints and that he must follow in his own father's. Kiara tells her father that he will never be Mufasa before fleeing Pride Rock and goes searching for Kovu. As she is about to give up, Kovu appears and the two are reunited. Kiara realizes they have to go back and stop the fighting, telling a dismayed Kovu that if they run away, the two prides will be divided forever. The Outsiders march on the Pride Lands. King Simba leads his lionesses to meet them, and the two prides fight. As the fighting grow intense, Zira steps in to finish Simba off herself.

However, before the two can strike, Kiara and Kovu leap in between them. Kiara pleads with her father to stop the feud and tells him that a wise king once told her "we are one," and that there is no 'they' or 'us,' but "they are us." Zira orders Vitani to attack, but she refuses, telling her that Kiara is right about this, and switches sides. In response, Zira furiously replies that if she will not fight, she will die alongside the Pridelanders. In extreme shock and disgust at Zira's true horrid nature, the other Outsiders immediately change sides, which surprises and confuses Zira, who orders her former pride to come back. While Simba is momentarily distracted by the sound of the river dam cracking, Zira tries to attack, but Kiara interferes, sending them both over the cliff. Kiara lands on a jutting rock, but Zira continues to slide down towards the raging river. Nala warns Simba about the river as he is trying to save Kiara from Zira. Kiara extends her paw to try and pull Zira up, but the bitter lioness, like Scar, is unable to let go of her hate and deliberately lets go to her death.

Finally, Simba announces that he was wrong about Kovu and invites the Outsiders back home. All the animals in the kingdom gather as King Simba, Queen Nala, Princess Kiara, and Prince Kovu roar proudly on top of Pride Rock, with the lionesses following suit. Soon, Mufasa's ghost congratulates Simba and his actions from the heavens and tells him that they are one.

Cast

 * Matthew Broderick as Simba, Mufasa's son, Nala's husband who grows up to be the King of Pride Rock. Joseph Williams and Cam Clarke provide the singing voice of Simba. Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matt Weinberg voice Simba as a cub, while Weinberg, Jason Weaver and Evan Saucedo voicing the cub's singing voice.
 * Jeremy Irons as Scar, Mufasa's mischievous younger brother and Simba's uncle who seeks to take the throne.
 * Moira Kelly as Nala, Simba's best friend later former wife as the Queen of Pride Rock. Sally Dworsky provides the singing voice of Nala. Niketa Calame voices Nala as a cub, while Laura Williams provided her singing voice.
 * James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Simba's father and the previous King of Pride Rock.
 * Madge Sinclair as Sarabi, Simba's mother, Mufasa's wife, Kiara's grandmother and the previous Queen of Pride Rock.
 * Nathan Lane as Timon, a wise-cracking and self-absorbed yet somewhat loyal meerkat who becomes one of Simba's best friends and adoptive parents.
 * Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, a naïve warthog who suffers from flatulence and is Timon's best friend and also becomes one of Simba's best friends and adoptive parents.
 * Suzanne Pleshette as Zira, the mother of Kovu, Nuka and Vitani, Scar's late widow and the leader of exiled lion groups named "Outsiders".
 * Rowan Atkinson and Edward Hibbert as Zazu, a hornbill who is the Mufasa's, later Simba's majordomo.
 * Robert Guillaume as Rafiki, a wise old mandrill and the shaman of Pride Rock who presents the new King and Queen to the animals. He is also the narrator of the film. This marks the last film appearance of Guillaume who died in October 2017.
 * Jason Marsden as Kovu, the younger son of Zira who later becomes Kiara's husband. Ryan O'Donohue voices Kovu as a cub.
 * Neve Campbell as Kiara, Simba and Nala's daughter and the Princess of Pride Rock. Michelle Horn voices Kiara as a cub, while Charity Sanoy provides her singing voice and Ashley Edner provides her lion growls.
 * Andy Dick as Nuka, the older son of Zira who is the brother of Kovu and Vitani.
 * Julie Kavner as Ma, Timon's caring mother who is overly protective and attached to her son, often trying to get him accepted amongst the colony, but never succeeding.
 * Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max, Timon's paranoid, eccentric but deep down kind-hearted uncle.
 * Jim Cummings, Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin as Azazi, Shenzi and Kamari, three spotted hyenas who serve as the predators in Timon's colony before serving as the henchmen for Scar.
 * Cummings also voices a mole that talks with Zazu and Pumbaa's Uncle Boaris; Cummings also makes a guest appearance as Scar during "Be Prepared" and Simba's nightmare after Irons blew his voice.
 * Jennifer Lien as Vitani, the daughter of Zira and the sister of Kovu and Nuka. Lacey Chabert voices Vitani as a cub, while Crysta Macalush provides her singing voice.
 * Bradley Raymond as Fearless Buzz, the greatest meerkat in Timon's colony and Timon's late father who appears in Timon's flashback.
 * Jason Rudofsky as Flinchy, a member in Timon's colony.
 * Zoe Leader voices Sarafina, Nala's mother and a close friend of Sarabi.

Corey Burton was originally going to voice Quint from The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, but was suddenly taken out from the film's final cut.

Release
The film is expected to be release sometime in 2018. It was originally planned to be released in summer of 2017.