The Lion King Reborn

"Two generations will collide. Only one will survive."

- The film's tagline

The Lion King Reborn is an upcoming 2018 American animated epic, adventure, musical, comedy-drama film released by Walt Disney Pictures, with under production by Walt Disney Animation Studios and YouTube, as well as being distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It serves as the first-half of a remaster of Disney's well-known 1994 animated film The Lion King, conjoining it with its 1998 sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, its 2004 midquel The Lion King 1½: Hakuna Matata and several episodes of its 2015 television sequel series The Lion Guard. The film celebrates the 25th anniversary of the original 1994 film, and also marks the last film to be released by DisneyToon Studios after its defunct in June 2018 and to be one of the last films executive produced by John Lasseter before his retirement from his associated projects for Walt Disney Animation Studios. It was directed by Christian Myers, produced by Don Hahn, original songs written by Elton John, Tim Rice and Beau Black, score composed by Ludwig Göransson and Nitin Sawhney, and story written by Myers, Don Bluth, Jim Capobianco, Lorna Cook, Thom Enriquez, Andy Gaskill, Francis Glebas, Ed Gombert, Kevin Harkey, Barry Johnson, Mark T, Jorgen Klubien, Larry Leker, Rick Maki, Burny Mattinson, Joe Ranft, Chris Sanders, Tom Sito, Gary Trousdale, Kevin Hopps, John Loy, Jack Monaco, Elise Allen, Kendall Michele Haney, Laura Sreenby and Krista Tucker.

The film includes an ensemble voice cast such as; Matthew Broderick as Simba, Jeremy Irons as Scar, Gabrielle Union as Nala, Eden Riegel as Kiara, Jason Marsden as Kovu, Nika Futterman as Zira, Nathan Lane as Timon, Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, Khary Payton as Rafiki, Andy Dick as Nuka, Lacey Chabert as Vitani, Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, Blair Underwood as Makuu, Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi, Cheech Marin as Banzai, Jim Cummings as Ed, Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Rani, Landry Bender as Makini, Maia Mitchell as Jasiri, Joshua Rush as Bunga, Diamond White as Fuli, Atticus Shaffer as Ono, Dusan Brown as Beshte, Julie Kavner as Ma, Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max, Angela Bassett as Sarabi, and Max Charles as Kion, to which Broderick, Irons, Marsden, Lane, Sabella, Dick, Chabert, Atkinson, Goldberg, Marin, Cummings, Kavner, and Stiller reprise their previous roles from the films, alongside Union, Riegel, Futterman, Payton, Underwood, Lee, Bender, Mitchell, Rush, White, Shaffer, Brown, and Charles reprising their roles from The Lion Guard; thus it is the greatest film to contain such amount of ensemble cast. It also dedicates to Suzanne Pleshette and Robert Guillaume, the original voices of Zira and Rafiki, who both died on January 2008 and October 2017.

The film received praise for the film's screenwriting, humor, the cast (particularly Broderick, Irons, Union, Riegel, Payton, White, and Charles), visual effects, emotional "dark" weight of the story, Pleshette and Guillaume's dedications, musical scores by Göransson and Sawhney, action scenes (particularly the final battle in the Outlands' volcano), and the 1994 film's 25th anniversary, although the runtime received some criticism. The film is scheduled to be released in IMAX 3D and AMC Theaters, as well as being on multiple websites, including Ideas Wikia, Dailymotion and YouTube. An alternate version of the film titled The Outlands Cut will soon be released after the film's initial release where it includes a subplot involving Tiifu and Zuri, while the characters had brief cameos in the theatrical release.

A sequel to The Lion King Reborn titled as The Lion King Forever will be released with Myers returning to direct, Hahn returning to produce, Göransson and Sawhney returning to compose the score, and Broderick, Irons, Union, Riegel, Marsden, Futterman, Lane, Sabella, Payton, Dick, Chabert, Atkinson, Underwood, Lee, Bender, Mitchell, Rush, White, Shaffer, Brown, and Charles reprising their voice roles as Simba, Scar, Nala, Kiara, Kovu, Zira, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Nuka, Vitani, Zazu, Makuu, Lee, Makini, Jasiri, Bunga, Fuli, Ono, Beshte, and Kion.

Premise
The Lion King Reborn retells the story of Simba, to succeed his father, Mufasa, as King of the Pride Lands; however, after Simba's uncle Scar (Mufasa's jealous younger brother), murders Mufasa, Simba is manipulated into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile. Now an young adult, Simba is given some valuable perspective from his best friends Nala, Timon and Pumbaa and his shaman, Rafiki, to challenge Scar's tyranny and to take his place in the Circle of Life as the rightful King. Later on, when Nala and Simba bring birth to a daughter named Kiara and Scar is brought back alive as a dark spirit by Janja the hyena and Ushari the Egyptian cobra, they must join forces with the Lion Guard (aka. Simba's second-born son Kion, and his friends Fuli the cheetah, Bunga the honey badger, Beshte the hippopotamus, and Ono the egret), as well as Jasiri, who is a friendly hyena in the Outlands and Rafiki's apprentice Makini to destroy Scar and face against his most banished group of lions named the "Outsiders", led by Zira and her siblings Nuka, Vitani, and Scar's hand-chosen "adopted" son Kovu, alongside a group of "Outlanders" led by Ushari, Janja, Sumu the pandinus imperator, Reirei the wild jackal, Shupavu the fire skink, Kiburi the Nile crocodile, and Mzingo the vulture.

Plot
Timon is a social outcast in his meerkat colony on the outskirts of the Pride Lands of Africa known as the "Pit of Shame". Timon is also the son of his late Pa, who was the colony's greatest meerkat, nicknamed "Fearless Buzz". Though he is unconditionally supported by his mother Ma, Timon dreams for more in life than his colony's bleak existence hiding from predators. One day, he is assigned as a Sentry, but his daydreaming nearly leads to the death of his Uncle Max by a group of spotted hyenas named Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. This marks the last straw for the colony before Ma tries to convince his son to be back in, prompting Timon to leave and finding a better life.
 * See also: The Lion King Reborn/Transcript

On the way however, Timon breaks into a hysterical sob, to which he moans in front of what is known as the "Tree of Life". Inside, a mystic mandrill, who is the lion king's shaman, named Rafiki helps, then teaches Timon about "Hakuna Matata" (meaning "No Worries" in Swahili) and advises him to "look beyond what you see". Timon takes the advice literally and observes Pride Rock in the distance. Believing Pride Rock to be his paradise home, Timon ventures there, but then bumps into a warthog named Pumbaa. The two quickly form a bond and Pumbaa accompanies Timon. The adventure starts to where Queen Sarabi and King Mufasa's newborn son Simba is being presented. The pair arrive at Pride Rock, but as they make their way through the crowd of onlookers, Pumbaa explosively passes gas, causing nearby animals to faint but prompting animals further away to bow to Mufasa. Following this, Timon and Pumbaa start to live in the cave as Rafiki holds up Simba for the animals to bow.

Mufasa shows young Simba the Pride Lands and explains to him the responsibilities of kingship and the Circle of Life which connects all living things. Meanwhile, Mufasa's younger brother Scar covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba so he may become king. He later tricks Simba and his best friend Nala — to whom Simba is betrothed — into exploring a forbidden elephants' graveyard, where they are attacked by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, who are now in league with Scar. Timon and Pumbaa soon witness Mufasa saving the cubs and Zazu, the king's majordomo. Though angry with Simba, Mufasa forgives him and explains that the great kings of the past watch over them from the night sky, from which he will one day watch over Simba.

Scar sets a trap for his brother and nephew, luring Simba into a gorge and having the hyenas drive a large herd of wildebeest into a stampede that will trample him. He informs Mufasa of Simba's peril, knowing the king will rush to save him. Mufasa saves Simba but ends up hanging perilously from the gorge's edge. Scar refuses to help Mufasa, instead sending him falling to his death. Scar then convinces Simba that the tragedy was Simba's own fault and advises him to flee the kingdom. He orders the hyenas to kill Simba, but he escapes. Scar tells the pride that Mufasa and Simba were killed in the stampede and steps forward as the new king, allowing a large pack of hyenas to live in the Pride Lands. With Timon and Pumbaa exhausted, since they were unknowingly caught in the stampede and fell off a waterfall, Timon decides to give up, until Pumbaa discovers a luxurious green jungle. The pair finally settle there with the philosophy of "Hakuna Matata", named Hakuna Matata Falls. Timon and Pumbaa then encounter Simba in a nearby desert after bowling for vultures led by Mzingo, who collapsed nearly dead from the escape of Pride Rock. The pair rescue Simba and decide to raise him under their philosophy.

Meanwhile, King Scar worries about not being favored among the Pride Landers while dealing with the problems mentioned by the hyenas and Nala. On top of that, Scar is driven mad by the delusions he has of Mufasa's ghost. To calm his mental illness, Zazu suggests Scar gets a queen, which leads Scar to choose Nala so they can produce cubs. However, she scratches him across the face as an act of refusal. Nala then sets out on a journey to find help against Scar's tyrannical reign.

Now a young adult, Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa from a hungry lioness, who turns out to be Nala. She and Simba reunite and fall in love, and she urges him to return home, telling him the Pride Lands have become a drought-stricken wasteland under Scar's reign. Feeling guilty over his father's death, Simba refuses and storms off. He encounters Rafiki, who tells him that Mufasa's spirit lives on in Simba. Simba is visited by the ghost of Mufasa in the night sky, who tells him he must take his rightful place as king. Realizing he can no longer run from his past, Simba decides to return home. Too much for Timon's horror, Nala explains that Simba had run off to challenge Scar, and that they need their help. Hurt that Simba left them, Timon unsuccessfully tries to persuade Pumbaa to stay, but Pumbaa follows Simba and Nala. Timon indulges in the jungle's luxuries by himself, but loneliness starts to overcome him. Rafiki appears again and helps Timon realize that his true Hakuna Matata is with the ones he loves, prompting Timon to take off after Simba, Nala and Pumbaa. Timon catches up and reconciles with Pumbaa, before they journey onward to Pride Rock. Aided by his friends, Simba sneaks past the hyenas at Pride Rock and confronts Scar. Scar taunts him over his role in Mufasa's death and backs him to the edge of the rock, where he reveals to Simba that HE murdered Mufasa. Enraged, Simba pins Scar to the ground and forces him to reveal the truth to the rest of the pride.

As Timon and Pumbaa run into Ma and Max, who came looking for him, Timon proposes that they all help Simba by getting rid of the hyenas. Timon, Pumbaa, Nala, Sarabi, Zazu, and the lionesses fend off the hyenas, alongside Ma and Max, who are directed to construct a series of tunnels beneath the hyenas; Rafiki also arrives to join the fight. When the tunnels are finished, Max knocks down the sticks, breaking the ground under the hyenas. However, the last few get stuck, prompting Timon to dive underground and break them himself. The cave-in commences, and the hyenas are ejected through the tunnels. Scar, attempting to escape, is then cornered by Simba at the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs for mercy and attempts to blame the hyenas for his actions; Simba spares his life but orders him to leave the Pride Lands forever. Scar attacks his nephew, but Simba manages to toss him from the top of the rock. Scar survives the fall, but as Simba comes down to kill, Scar refuses to be healed, choosing to die a free king rather than be incarcerated; he is then killed by the hyenas, who overheard him betray them to Simba.

With his enemies gone, Simba takes over the kingship as the rains begin to fall, restoring life to the land as he looks up at the constellation of Leo. During that time though, he banished loyal lions that worked for Scar, including a red infant cub. As Simba thanked Timon and Pumbaa for helping him, Timon knew it was time to show his meerkat colony of what it's like with no predators. A couple of days later, Timon, Pumbaa and Simba take Ma, Max, Timon's rival Fred, and the entire colony to live in Hakuna Matata Falls to complete his "Hakuna Matata"; and Timon is praised as their hero.

King Simba and Queen Nala's newborn daughter Kiara is presented to the assembled animals by Rafiki as Mufasa proudly watches over the ceremony from the heavens above. Rafiki paints an emblem of Kiara on the trunk of his tree, happily commenting on the security of the pride's future. Mufasa's spirit ruffles Rafiki's mane, stopping by to visit, and through this, the baboon discovers another cub while in his tree with help from Mufasa's spirit. First, he accuses Mufasa of breaking the circle, and then he sees the new cub as trouble. In the Outlands, Nuka and Vitani, who are the oldest siblings of Scar, had just finish their spying in the Pride Lands and rush back to report the news of Kiara to Zira, who is their mother and the leader of the "Outsiders". Nuka later requests that as the oldest, he should be king, but Zira snaps at him, reminding him that her youngest son Kovu is the Chosen One to become the next king and to fulfill Scar's dying wish, in which she speaks to Scar's spirit that soon, they will reclaim his kingdom.

A few weeks later, Kiara becomes annoyed with her father's overprotective parenting. Simba assigns Timon and Pumbaa, who come to visit him, to follow her. Kiara ignores her father's warning and the duo's attention and enters the "Outlands", where she meets a young cub, Kovu, and they escape from crocodiles while befriending each other. When Kovu retaliates to Kiara's playing, Simba confronts the young cub just as he is confronted by Zira. Zira reminds Simba of how he exiled her and the other Outsiders, and she reveals that Scar selected Kovu to be his successor despite not being his biological father. After returning to the Pride Lands, Nala and the rest of the pride head back to Pride Rock while Simba lectures Kiara about the danger posed by the Outsiders. He then tells her that they are a part of each other.

Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala, discovers that he has the ability to channel the roars of the Great Lions of the Past, giving him fierce power just like Scar, who had the same power before him, but who tragically misused it for evil and lost it forever. At the instructions of Simba and Rafiki, Kion forms a team called the Lion Guard. As Kion goes against tradition and chooses his non-lion friends Bunga the honey badger, Ono the egret, Beshte the hippopotamus and Fuli the cheetah to populate it, Simba scolds him for not taking his new responsibilities seriously. When they save Kiara from a herd of stampeding gazelle and defeat Janja's hyena clan and Mzingo, Simba realizes that Kion has protected the Pride Lands and is indeed ready to lead his new Lion Guard.

When Kion winds up in the Outlands after falling in a river, he meets Jasiri, a friendly female hyena who guides him to Flat Ridge Rock to regroup with the rest of the Lion Guard and explains how she and her clan respect the Circle of Life. When Jasiri gets cornered by Janja and his clan, Kion helps her fight them off. Meanwhile, the rest of the Guard struggle to find directions to a outskirt from Pride Rock known as "Flat Ridge Rock". During the celebrated holiday of Kupatana in the Pride Lands, Kion and his friends rescue a jackal pup named Dogo from Janja's clan, but they soon discover that he is in a whole family of jackals and the matriarch, Reirei, and her husband Goigoi, who is actually a African wild dog, manage to fool the Guard into letting them stay. Bunga, Kion, Ono and Beshte search for Utamu grubs. On the way, Bunga tells the story of how he met Timon and Pumbaa. Meanwhile, Fuli goes on a mission alone and overexerts herself, leaving her vulnerable to an attack by Mzingo's Parliament of vultures.

When Makuu wins a Mashidano duel against Pua and becomes the leader of the crocodile float and invades hippo territory, chaos ensues for the Pride Lands. Kion is torn between fighting and surrendering and struggles to find a middle path to stand his ground to resolve the situation. Meanwhile, Ono tries to find a way to free Bunga from his stinky smell. Tamaa, who is a drongo bird, uses his talent to imitate the voice of any animal to gain food from others, which annoys the Lion Guard for false alarms, but soon finds himself forced by Janja's clan to help them trap a herd of impalas in the Outlands. A young elephant named Mtoto idolizes Beshte and soon sees him in action when both of them are attacked by Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu.

Under the suggestion of Simba, the Lion Guard leads a herd of zebras led by Muhimu and a herd of gazelles led by Swala to a new grazing ground located at the edge of the Pride Lands in Mbali Fields, which was very difficult. One of their obstacles to get to Mbali Fields is the Outlands as the Lion Guard works to keep both herds safe from Janja's clan, even when Muhimu starts to have a baby named Hamu.

After a failed attack on a wildebeest herd, Janja kicks Cheezi and Chungu out of the Outlands and promotes two new hyenas named Nne and Tano to be his seconds-in-command. While the Lion Guard makes sure that the Pride Lands' trails are safe after the rainstorm during the Mbali Fields Migration, they find Cheezi and Chungu and reluctantly let them stay. Meanwhile, Nne and Tano plan an attack on an oryx herd and ditch Janja. Later, Muhimu asks Bunga to watch over her son Hamu while she takes some time to relax. Before long, other animals ask Bunga to watch their kids as well. While watching over the young animals, Bunga works to keep them safe from Reirei's pack, including Dogo and Kijana. Meanwhile, Goigoi tries to keep the Guard from going to Hakuna Matata Falls to see how Bunga's getting on.

The Guard feels as though that Fuli has no family and invite her to join their individual activities, oblivious to the fact that she enjoys being alone. Meanwhile, Bunga lets immunity go to his head after being told that he is immune to Ushari the Egyptian cobra's venom and goes to the Outlands to play in a volcano, where he is targeted by Janja and his clan, but is soon rescued by Fuli and the Guard. Due to a misunderstanding with Rafiki about the wisdom of honey badgers following Bunga averting a flood, the animals of the Pride Lands begin to think that Bunga is the wisest animal there is, but when his advice begins to cause more harm than good, Kion and the others must find some way to stop Bunga before it's too late.

While helping the Guard drive away Janja's clan following their attempted attack on a wildebeest herd, Ono temporarily loses his vision in his left eye when he gets dirt in it. When Janja overhears the news from Mzingo and the vultures, he plans to take advantage of this by trapping the Lion Guard between two rockslides in a narrow ravine with Cheezi and Chungu's help. Meanwhile, Rafiki tries to work on his paintings of the Lion Guard. During a rainstorm, Bunga thinks that Rafiki's paintings can predict the future and believes that Kion will fall from a high tree. Soon, he and the rest of the Lion Guard desperately try to keep Kion from climbing trees. Meanwhile, Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu plan an attack on Thurston's zebra herd.

When Simba and Bunga get trapped in a sinkhole, the Lion Guard struggles to find a way to rescue them. While in the hole, Simba and Bunga find a tunnel that leads to Nandembo Caverns, and the guard heads to the cavern entrance in the hopes of meeting them inside. Meanwhile, Simba and Bunga realize that being raised by Timon and Pumbaa is something that they have in common. A little later, when Ma Tembo, the leader of her elephant clan, gets stuck in a hole underground, the Guard must go to rescue her.

While the Lion Guard is on night patrol, they mistake a pack of aardwolves for hyenas. Kion Roars at them which sends them flying into the Outlands and causes a massive termite infestation in the Pride Lands. The Lion Guard soon realizes their mistake and travel to the Outlands to bring the aardwolves back. However, Reirei and Goigoi have their sights on the aardwolves as well.

Beshte makes friends with a timid okapi named Ajabu who has traveled to the Pride Lands to get away from Makucha the leopard, but the other members of the Lion Guard think that Ajabu is imaginary due to his tendency to hide from others. When Makucha shows up in the Pride Lands however, the guard soon realizes that Beshte's new friend is real.

The Lion Guard discovers from Laini and her group of galagos that a leopard named Badilli has moved into their tree. They find out that Badilli has been driven out of his home by the mean leopard Mapigano who has taken over his territory in Mirihi Forest in the Back Lands. The Guard teaches Badilli to stand up to Mapigano and reclaim his territory.

Kion uses the Roar of the Elders in anger when Janja's clan attack Nala. As a result, Kion loses control of the Roar and its power almost harms her. Worried that he nearly hurt his mother, Kion feels that he should never use the Roar again. Meanwhile, Ono feels self–conscious after the Roar blows off his head feathers. Overhearing Kion's plans to never use the Roar again, Makuu and his float of crocodiles take advantage of the opportunity and take over the Flood Plains. With some convincing from Mufasa and Nala, Kion gains the confidence to use the Roar when he confronts Makuu.

Jasiri asks for Kion's help in dealing with a pride of lions, who are keeping her family away from their watering hole, including her sister Madoa and two cubs named Tunu and Wema. When he goes to help, he encounters the Outsider lions and their leader Zira, who tries to get Kion to join her side by stating that she knows about more about the Roar than he does, such as its ability to bring a brief rain shower by roaring at a cloud. Zira eventually reveals to Kion that she knew Scar. When Kion refuses to join Zira, she and her lionesses trap him. Meanwhile, the rest of the Guard head to the Outlands to rescue Kion after Rafiki informs them of who the Outsider lions are.

The Lion Guard encounters two gorilla princes named Majinuni and Hafifu, who have a message for Simba on behalf of their father King Sokwe of the Theluji mountains. However, the gorilla brothers have forgotten the message. Simba explains to Kion that every wet season, Sokwe gives Simba a message to let him know if their peace treaty still stands. The guard goes back to the mountain to get the message with the gorilla brothers, who are reluctant to face their father. On the way, Kion, Bunga, Fuli, Ono, and Beshte experience snow for the first time.

Nala takes Kion and Kiara on a special trip to find Udugu. With Kion away, Simba leads the Lion Guard to help both Mbuni's ostrich flock and Swala's gazelle herd. When Simba orders the guard to follow his command, they make matters worse. Meanwhile, Nala disappears and Kion and Kiara have to work together to find her. Afterwards, Nala reveals that Udugu is not a place but a word that means "kinship" or the bond between siblings, and Simba learns that the Lion Guard works best not when they do exactly what he does but doing what they each do best. In the Outlands, Zira reminds Kovu that Scar has got destroyed by Kion; she soon tells her son to become king and to get revenge on Simba.

When the legendary eagle named Hadithi comes to the Pride Lands, Ono discovers that his hero is not what he seems when it turned out that he made up some of his adventures. While the Lion Guard search for leaves from the top of the tallest tree in the Pride Lands for Hadithi's Royal Mud Print ceremony, Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu target a group of klipspringers.

When Beshte's dad Basi gets injured by a frightened young rhino named Messager while creating hippo lanes in the flood plains after a big rainstorm, Beshte must step up and make the hippo lanes instead. Meanwhile, Kion, Bunga, Ono, and Fuli lead a herd of stubborn sable antelope led by Bupu to higher ground, and Makuu and his float of crocodiles return and try to get rid of Basi so that there will be no rules to stop them.

Ono acts as a replacement for Kifaru the rhino's tickbird Mwenzi to guide him to Tamasha, a sparring event at Lake Matope, after Kifaru and Mwenzi have a falling-out. Meanwhile, the other members of the Lion Guard track down the tickbird and convince him to work out his differences with Kifaru. During a confrontation at a lake, Kifaru and Mwenzi must put aside their differences in order to help the Lion Guard fight off Makuu's float. After a little while however, Ono becomes the protector of the egg that belongs to the hamerkop Kulinda when a harrier hawk named Mpishi leaves her hunting territory and comes to the Pride Lands to look for new food to try. When the egg hatches, Ono and the Lion Guard must keep the hamerkop chick safe from Mpishi and Mwoga.

When a Traveling Baboon Show led by Uroho arrives in the Pride Lands to perform their show, they end up stealing the other animals' food. After chasing the baboons to the Outlands, the Lion Guard has to come to their rescue when they are cornered by Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu.

Simba gathers key leaders of the Pride Lands' different animal communities for the Savannah Summit in order to make arrangements for the upcoming dry season. The Lion Guard get suspicious when Makuu is one of the attendees and suspect that he might ruin the summit. Meanwhile, Makuu butts heads with Bupu when Makuu wants to have his float sleep near his herd's watering hole during the dry season. Eventually, Kion realizes that Makuu wants to change from his trouble-making ways in order to become a better leader for his float and the Pride Lands.

As the dry season begins, Ma Tembo works to find a new water source, and Rafiki takes in a young mandrill named Makini as his apprentice. While fed up with always getting trampled and disturbed when the Lion Guard is near, Ushari inadvertently finds out that Kion talks to the spirit of Mufasa. When ambushed by Janja's clan, Ushari forms an alliance with them, and they conspire to find a way to summon the spirit of Scar. While overhearing Rafiki, Ushari learns that the Evil Lions of the Past appear in fire, and once they are summoned by the Roar of the Elders, a bakora staff can be used to talk to them. With this knowledge, the hyenas steal Makini's bakora staff and kidnap Kiara to lure Kion and the Guard to the Outlands, with the intent on tricking Kion to Roar in anger with enough power to make the hyenas' volcano erupt in flames. After the Guard manages to save Kiara, Janja taunts Kion until he Roars in anger and unknowingly summons Scar when the volcano erupts. Ushari and the hyenas are then able to speak with Scar's spirit in the volcano after dropping the bakora staff into it. Meanwhile, the Lion Guard and Kiara return to the Pride Lands safely, but are unaware that Scar has returned; Scar then proclaims to Janja and Ushari "Well, it seems the war has just begun."

After the Guard accidentally awakens Makuu and his float from their sleep during the dry season upon unknowingly sending a stampede near their sleeping cave, the Lion Guard and Simba work to find a new place for Makuu's float to endure the dry season. During this time, a crocodile named Kiburi conspires against Makuu which leads to them getting into a Mashidano as Ushari, under Scar's orders, persuades Kiburi to have his followers attack Simba. After he and his followers are kicked out of Makuu's float upon Kiburi losing the Mashidano, and banished from the Pride Lands upon the attack on Simba being thwarted by the Lion Guard, Kiburi joins Janja's clan and Ushari in working for Scar, who plans to unite all the animals of the Outlands and get them under his leadership as part of his plot to take over the Pride Lands.

While working to free Thurston's zebra herd from the dry river before the mud hardens, Kion has no choice but to use the Roar on a dark cloud to make it rain. The rain from the cloud not only frees Thurston's herd, it also causes a flash flood that sends Beshte into the Outlands. After Njano informs Ushari of Beshte's presence, Scar enlists Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu to assist Shupavu's group of skinks in laying a trap to get rid of Beshte at Rocky Plato. Meanwhile, the rest of the Lion Guard head to the Outlands to search for Beshte.

When Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu target the Tikiti melons which hold water that the elephants need during the dry season, Scar orders Ushari to enlist his rock monitor lizard friend named Kenge to deal with the Lion Guard. His venomous bite temporarily paralyzes Kion, Fuli, and Beshte, causing Ono to enlist Makini to find a remedy to heal them faster while Rafiki is away. While Makini gets Ponya flowers for the remedy, Ono and Bunga are left to defend the Tikiti melons from Kenge and Janja's clan.

When there is a water shortage in the Pride Lands, Simba instructs the Lion Guard to travel to the Back Lands to find the zebra leader Dhahabu and ask her if she is willing to share her herd's watering hole with the Pride Lands' animals. When they find Dhahabu and her herd they discover that she is a rare golden zebra. Along the way, they have to face Makucha whose leap is preventing the zebras from getting their water source.

The Ukumbusho, a performance that celebrates the friendship between the elephants and lions of the Pride Lands is being held in Mizimu Grove, and Makini is tasked with painting sunbursts on the elephants. The Lion Guard plays the original Guard which was led by a lion named Askari. As Ma Tembo states that the Guard was made up of lions at the last Ukumbusho, Makini paints Bunga, Fuli, Beshte, and Ono to look like lions while Timon and Pumbaa help them in practicing their performance. Due to Makini using yellow flowers for the elephants' sunburst paint, a swarm of bees start swarming Ma Tembo and the other elephants causing them to go on a rampage. The Lion Guard then rushes after the elephants to calm them down and save them from the bees.

A gecko named Hodari wants to be in a crocodile float, but Makuu doesn't want Hodari in his float due to his size. Witnessing this happening, Shupavu and Njano come up with a plan to get Hodari to be in Kiburi's float. Kiburi then comes up with a plan to use Hodari in his revenge on Makuu and the Lion Guard.

Under Scar's orders, Janja, Cheezi, and Chungu kidnap Zazu while he is compiling the Pride Lands' morning report, and take him to the Outlands to get him to reveal royal secrets about Simba. After Kion reminisces about how Zazu once saved him and Bunga from Makuu and Pua's crocodile float when he was a little cub, the Guard finds out that Zazu has been kidnapped by Janja's clan and head to the Outlands to save him.

After Scar obtains the alliance with Reirei's pack, they work with Janja's clan to cause two different attacks in the Pride Lands at the same time, forcing the Lion Guard to split up to chase them down. In order to be in two places at once and to fool both Reirei and Janja's groups, Kion enlists the help of Tamaa to imitate the Guard's voices. Meanwhile, Scar orders Janja's clan to take down Rafiki while Reirei's pack causes a distraction elsewhere. The Guard realizes that Janja's clan are heading towards Rafiki and send Tamaa to confuse Reirei's pack while they go to assist Rafiki in fighting the hyenas. However, the jackals soon find out that Tamaa is tricking them and rush off to help the hyenas. During the battle, Scar appears in the flames of a nearby fire and speaks with Janja. Kion briefly witnesses Scar's spirit before it vanishes, but is unsure of what to make of it. With the help of Tamaa and Rafiki, the Guard wins the battle and Janja and Reirei retreat with their groups. In the area where Scar appeared, a scorch mark with a strange symbol remains. Rafiki recognizes it from paintings of the past as a sign of terrible evil, and goes off to consult the paintings to be sure.

To be continued...

During the Kumbuka celebration honoring the day that Simba defeated Scar, a deadly pandinus imperator named Sumu sent by Scar stings Simba with his poisonous venom, causing him to become very ill and weak. Rafiki sends Makini and the Guard to the Outlands' volcano to get the volcanic ash needed to cure Simba by sundown. Once Makini and the Guard reach the volcano, Scar reveals himself to them and commands Janja's clan, Reirei's pack, Kiburi's float, Mzingo's flock, Ushari, Kenge, and Shupavu's group to attack them. After battling Scar's army of Outlanders with Kion using the Roar of the Elders FOUR TIMES in a row to a similar way how he aimed it at Makuu's float, Makini and the Lion Guard make it back to Pride Rock with the ash. While Simba is recuperating, Kion informs Rafiki that Scar has returned. Kion then reminds the Lion Guard and Makini that their job is to protect the Pride Lands, and that though it will be tough, they will defeat Scar.

In a series of mid and post-credits scenes, Simba and Rafiki send Makini and Fuli to Urembo River to escort Kongwe, a wise old tortoise, to Pride Rock; Kion struggles to find Ma Tembo's herd a new home someplace else in the Pride Lands, including Ndefu Grove, the home of the galagos; Scar orders Janja to take his clan and to get rid of Jasiri and her hyena resistance; Kion meets Kuchimba, a golden blind mole; and Timon and Pumbaa are displayed in the Outlands, while mentioning that the place is better than Disneyland. They are seen chowing down on bugs, and one bug flies into the shot and flits from side to side like Tinker Bell in the traditional Disney transition-out sequence. ⮕ SCAR WILL RETURN ⬅

Cast
See also: The Lion King Reborn/Credits and The Lion King Reborn/Gallery

The following includes backstory and details covered in the current film, in the original films, the television series The Lion Guard, and in the canon novel The Lion King Reborn: Crucible.


 * Matthew Broderick as Simba – Son of Queen Sarabi and King Mufasa, who grows up to be king of Pride Rock. Rock singer and Toto band member Joseph Williams provided the character's singing voice. Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matt Weinberg voiced Simba as a cub with Evan Saucedo providing the cub's singing voice.
 * Jeremy Irons as Scar – Mufasa's mischievous younger brother and Simba's uncle, who overtakes the throne. He was also known to be the first leader of a Lion Guard, until he used the Roar of the Elders for evil to let his powers begone.
 * Jason Marsden as Kovu – The younger son of Zira, who was hand-chosen by Scar to take revenge on Simba and to become king, by fulfilling Scar's dying wish. Ryan O'Donohue voiced Kovu as a infant cub.
 * Gabrielle Union as Nala – The daughter of Sarafina and Simba's best friend later wife as queen of Pride Rock. Heather Headley provided the character's singing voice. Niketa Calame voiced Nala as a cub with Laura Williams providing the cub's singing voice.
 * Eden Riegel as Kiara – Simba and Nala's daughter, Kion's older sister and Tiifu and Zuri's best friend, who soon becomes the princess of Pride Rock. Michelle Horn voiced Kiara as an infant cub with Ashley Edner and Mary Gibbs performing the cub's growling sounds and Charity Sanoy providing the cub's singing voice.
 * Nika Futterman as Zira – Scar's widow and the leader of exiled lion groups named "Outsiders". She is also the mother of Kovu, Nuka and Vitani. Futterman re-dubbed Zira's lines originally recorded by Suzanne Pleshette as the film dedicates her memory.
 * Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa – A naïve warthog suffering from flatulence, who soon becomes Timon's partner and one of Simba's adoptive parents.
 * Nathan Lane as Timon – A wise-cracking and self-absorbed yet somewhat loyal meerkat, who becomes Pumbaa's "bestest best friend" and one of Simba's adoptive parents. He is also the son of his Ma and late Pa, nicknamed "Fearless Buzz".
 * Khary Payton as Rafiki – A wise old mandrill ("Silly blue-bottomed baboon" as Zazu calls him) and the shaman of Pride Rock. Payton re-dubbed Rafki's lines originally recorded by Robert Guillaume as the film dedicates his memory.
 * Diamond White as Fuli – A cheetah, Kion's love interest and the fastest member of the Lion Guard. Quvenzhané Wallis voiced Fuli as a baby.
 * Maia Mitchell as Jasiri – A teenage Outlander spotted hyena, who befriends as a reluctant member of the Lion Guard. Unlike Janja's clan, Jasiri and her hyena Resistance, including her sister Madoa, respect the Circle of Life and mostly scavenge for food.
 * Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi – A sassy spotted hyena and the leader of her clan, who invade Timon's colony before working as Scar's henchmen. Her full name is revealed as Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena by Timon.
 * Andy Dick as Nuka – The eldest son of Zira, who is the older brother of Kovu and Vitani.
 * Lacey Chabert as Vitani – Zira's daughter and Kovu and Nuka's brother, who is the princess of the Outsiders.
 * Rowan Atkinson as Zazu – A hornbill, who is the the majordomo ("Mufasa's little stooge" as Shenzi calls him) of the lion king and a jungle administrator. Working for the lion king, he also gives advises on his morning reports.
 * Blair Underwood as Makuu – A Nile crocodile, who becomes the leader of his float after defeating Pua in a "mashindano" (a fight for dominance in the crocodile float where the winner becomes the new leader of the float and the former leader, who is defeated, gets banished from the crocodile float).
 * Cheech Marin as Banzai – A Mexican-accented spotted hyena and Shenzi's mate.
 * Sarah Hyland as Tiifu – A lioness cub friend of Kiara and a member of Simba's pride, who is somewhat more sensible than her constant companion Zuri. In the Outlands Cut, she alongside Zuri have more extended roles since they appear in brief cameos during the theatrical release.
 * Jim Cummings as Ed – A dim-witted spotted hyena known to use laughter to communicate with Banzai and Shenzi.
 * Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Rani – A young cream brown-colored lioness and the leader of the Night Pride. Rani was meant to have a major role, but her role was then reduced to a minor role.
 * Landry Bender as Makini – A young mandrill and Rafiki's niece, who soon becomes his apprentice for the Royal Mjuzis and the reserve member of the Lion Guard.
 * Joshua Rush as Bunga – A honey badger, one of Kion's best friends, Timon and Pumbaa's adoptive nephew and the bravest member of the Lion Guard, who was taught to his phrase "Zuka Zama". Pierce Gagnon voiced Bunga as a baby.
 * Atticus Shaffer as Ono – A cattle egret, one of Kion's best friends and the keenest of sight of the Lion Guard.
 * Dusan Brown as Beshte – A hippopotamus, one of Kion's best friends and the strongest member of the Lion Guard.
 * 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 and the head for meerkat sentries.
 * Angela Bassett as Sarabi – Simba's mother, Mufasa's mate, Kiara and Kion's grandmother and the previous queen of Pride Rock. Bassett re-dubbed the character's lines that they were originally read by late actress Madge Sinclair, who previously voiced Sarabi in the original 1994 film.
 * Max Charles as Kion – Simba and Nala's second-born son, Sarabi and Mufasa's grandson, Kiara's younger brother, the leader of the Lion Guard and the prince of Pride Rock. Jacob Tremblay voiced Kion as a baby.
 * Christian Myers as Mwandishi / Africalous – An impoverished Southern African lion, who, in reality, is to spy and narrate the film's climax. As Mwandishi, he is the enchanted animal in the Back Lands; as Africalous, Mwandishi is disguised as a wise hermit lion in the Pride Lands.
 * Sterling K. Brown as Pa – Timon's late father, who is the bravest meerkat in Timon's colony nicknamed "Fearless Buzz".
 * Madison Pettis as Zuri – A lioness cub friend of Kiara and a member of Simba's pride, who is somewhat vain and hates getting dirty. In the Outlands Cut, she alongside Tiifu have more extended roles since they appear in brief cameos during the theatrical release.
 * Sarah Paulson as Sarafina – Nala's mother and a friend of Sarabi.
 * James Earl Jones as Mufasa – A previous king of Pride Rock, Simba's father, Sarabi's mate, Kiara and Kovu's grandfather and Scar's older brother.
 * Christian Slater as Ushari – A Egyptian cobra, who becomes Scar's leader of his army in the Outlands' volcano after bringing him back alive as a dark spirit.
 * Andrew Kishino as Janja – Scar's commander of his hyena clan.
 * Ana Gasteyer as Reieri – Scar's commander of her pack of wild jackals, who is also Goigoi's wife and the mother of Dogo, his brothers and sister Kijana.
 * Common as Kiburi – Scar's commander of his float of Nile crocodiles, who were banished by Simba after tricking Makuu for a mashindano while his members tried to kill Simba.
 * Greg Ellis as Mzingo – Scar's commander of his white-backed vulture Parliament.
 * Kristin Chenoweth as Shupavu – Scar's commander of her skinks, who is friends with Ushari.
 * Adam Driver as Sumu – A pandinus imperator and Scar's most deadliest assassin with highly poisonous venom and mighty pincers.
 * Kevin Schon as Thurston – A stubborn, but sometimes spooked zebra and the leader of his herd.
 * Maisie Klompus as Madoa – A skeptical teenage Outlander hyena, who is Jasiri's sister.
 * Lynette DuPree as Ma Tembo – The leader of her herd of elephants. In the Outlands Cut, it was revealed that Ma Tembo is the daughter of her late father Aminifu, who was also the late leader of the elephants.
 * Steven Blum as Makucha – A stocky, well-built Back Lander leopard with incredible agility and physical strength, who is also the leader of his leap.
 * Michael Dorn as Bupu – A fairly stubborn sable antelope and the leader of his herd.
 * Kevin Michael Richardson as Basi – Beshte's father and the leader of the hippos.
 * Ving Rhames as Pua – The former leader of the local Nile crocodile float shown to be capable of being kind and respecting to other animals but strictly followed the crocodile way as well.
 * Vargus Mason and Mark Hamill as Cheezi and Chungu – Janja's seconds-in-command.
 * Beau Black as Nne – One of Janja's former seconds-in-command.
 * Dee Bradley Baker as:
 * Tano – One of Janja's former seconds-in-command.
 * Nyani – A baboon and the leader of his pack.
 * Jacquez Swanigan as Gumba – A young baboon and a member on Nyani's group.
 * Albert Brooks as Goigoi – An African wild dog and Reirei's mate, having interest to wreak havoc in the Pride Lands.
 * Jacob Guenther as:
 * Shauku – A mongoose pup and one of Mtoto's best friends.
 * Dogo – A little jackal pup, who is one of Reirei and Goigoi's sons and Kijana's brother of the jackal family.
 * Amber Hood as Kijana – A little jackal pup, who is Reirei and Goigoi's daughter and Dogo's sister of the jackal family.
 * Cam Clarke as Mwoga – A vulture and Mzingo's second-in-command of his committee.
 * Kristofer Hivju as Kenge – A ferocious rock monitor with a paralyzing bite, who is an acquaintance of Ushari.
 * Rob Lowe as Njano – A Eastern blue-tongued skink, who serves as Shupavu's second-in-command.
 * Dan Howell as Majinuni – A mountain gorilla, who is Hafifu's brother and a prince of the Theluji Mountains.
 * Phil Lester as Hafifu – A mountain gorilla, who is Majinuni's brother and another prince of the Theluji Mountains.
 * Ron Funches as Ajabu – A shy okapi becoming Beshte's friend and is guided to the Pride Lands.
 * Jack McBrayer as Badili – A initially very timid, but friendly leopard, preferring to flee rather than stand up for himself.
 * Maurice LaMarche as Kifaru – A fairly stubborn white rhinoceros with abnormally poor eyesight and Mwenzi's best friend.
 * Rhys Darby as Mwenzi – A tickbird and Kifaru's best friend.
 * Jorge Diaz as Nduli – A fairly intelligent crocodile compared to his friend Tamka.
 * Nolan North as Tamka – A ferocious crocodile fighter being loyal to Kiburi.
 * Mindy Kaling as Kulinda – A hamerkop, who leaves her egg in Ono's nest while she builds a new nest that is safe from predators.
 * Tommy Chong as Mbeya – A wise Black rhinoceros and a friend of Beshte.
 * Mckenna Grace as Kambuni – An ostrich chick, Mbuni's daughter and a friend of Mtoto.
 * Russi Taylor as:
 * Mbuni – A ostrich quicken to take advice being afraid of hyenas.
 * Muhanga – An aardvark, who is Muhangus' wife and the keeper of her den.
 * Terry Crews as Muhangus – Muhanga's mate.
 * Sinbad as Uroho – A thieving, conniving baboon, who excels in feigning pleasantness and charm.
 * C. J. Byrnes as Tamaa – A drongo with a talent of imitating thousands of animal calls.
 * Jeffrey Tambor as Hadithi – A legendary Pride Lander African eagle, who faked having invented the Hadithi Spin.
 * Carla Hall as Mpishi – An African harrier-hawk, who leaves her hunting grounds to the Pride Lands looking for a rare meal.
 * John Rhys-Davies as King Sokwe – A Western lowland gorilla, who is the king of the Theluji Mountains and the father of Majinuni and Hafifu.
 * Seth Green as Mapigano – A muscular-built leopard and Badili's bully.
 * Justin Hires as Hodari – An electric blue gecko, who becomes an honorary member on Makuu's float.
 * Charlie Adler as Mjomba – A aardwolf and the leader of his clan.
 * Renée Elise Goldsberry as Dhahabu – A rare golden zebra, who is the leader of the herd. Bunga admires her greatly.
 * Meghan Strange as Laini – A galago and the leader of her group.
 * Tunisia Hardison as Swala – A gazelle, who is a friend of Muhimu and the leader of her herd.
 * Kari Wahlgren as:
 * Muhimu – A zebra, a friend of Swala, Hamu's mother and the leader of her herd. Emma Bunton provided her voice in the UK release of the film.
 * Mstari – A Pride Lander four-striped grass mouse.
 * Lyons Luke Mathias as:
 * Hamu – A zebra foal and Muhimu's son.
 * Kwato – A zebra foal and a member on Thurston's herd.
 * Alex Cartañá as Twiga – A giraffe, who is the leader of her herd and Juhudi's mother.
 * Ivy Bishop as Juhudi – A young giraffe and Twiga's daughter.
 * Phil LaMarr as Shingo – A friendly and playful giraffe and Twiga's mate.
 * Ogie Banks as Haya – A logical aardwolf and a member on Mjomba's clan.
 * Marieve Herington as:
 * Ogopa – A female spooked aardwolf and a member on Mjomba's clan.
 * Zigo – A female elephant and a member on Ma Tembo's herd.
 * Virginia Watson as:
 * Vuruga Vuruga – A empathetic buffalo and the leader of her wallow.
 * Msitu – A female elephant and Mtoto's mother. She is also a member on Ma Tembo's herd.
 * Justin Felbinger as Mtoto – A elephant calf, who is a member of Ma Tembo's herd. Mtoto also looks up to Beshte as his personal hero.
 * Nick Watt as Zito – A grouchy and impatient member on Ma Tembo's herd.
 * Patrick Fraley as Jumbo Jumbo – A very stubborn elephant and a member on Ma Tembo's herd.
 * Frank Welker as Ned – A snooty elephant with a British accent, who is a member on Ma Tembo's herd.
 * Ace Gibson as:
 * Johari – An elephant and a member on Ma Tembo's herd.
 * Tumbili – A red colobus and the leader of his troop.
 * Rico Rodriguez as Raha – A Back Lander zebra and Starehe's brother.
 * Raini Rodriguez as Starehe – A Back Lander zebra and Raha's sister.
 * Erica Luttrell as Boboka – Bupu's wife.
 * Jessica DiCicco as Tuhinga – A Pride Lander jerboa.
 * Kate McKinnon as Whara – A Pride Lander hare.
 * Bill Hader as Ukali – A sable antelope and a member on Bupu's herd.
 * James Corden as Mongofu – A Pride Lander mongoose.
 * Kristen Schaal as Bata – A Pride Lander duck and the leader of her flock.
 * Caleb McLaughlin as Namiri – A panther cub and one of Simba's childhood friends. McLaughlin was also known to portray young Simba on The Lion King stage version from 2012 to 2014.
 * Jacob Bertrand as Chama – A young elephant and a outcast from Ma Tembo's herd.
 * Mekai Curtis as Furaha – A young red colobus and a outcast from Tumbili's troop.
 * Cade Sutton as Mzaha – A young antelope and a outcast from Bupu's herd.
 * Sarah Jessica Parker as:
 * Tunu – A hyena cub, who is a member in Jasiri's resistance and Wema's brother.
 * Wema – A hyena cub, who is a member in Jasiri's resistance and Tunu's sister.
 * Torbin Xan Bullock as Iron Joe – A meerkat formerly on Sentry Duty before Timon takes his place.
 * Moira Kelly as Lionessia – An Outsider lioness and a member in Zira's pride. Kelly previously voiced Nala from The Lion King film series.
 * S. Scott Bullock as Fred – A red-brownish colored meerkat and a back-gate Sentry guard.
 * Jason Rudofsky as Flinchy – An unseen meerkat member on Timon's colony.

Non-speaking character cameos

 * Mwevi – A yellow baboon and one of Uroho's followers.
 * Mwizi – A yellow baboon and one of Uroho's followers.
 * Ona – A hamerkop chick and the daughter of Kulinda.
 * Sita – One of Janja's instructors.
 * Fisi – One of Janja's instructors.
 * Nyata – A speedy land mullet skink and a member Shupavu's group.
 * Waza – A broadhead skink and a member on Shupavu's group.
 * Chumvi – A lioness cub and one of Nala's best friends.
 * Tama – A lioness cub and Simba's former ex-friend.
 * Kula – A lioness cub.
 * Tojo – A lion cub and one of Simba's best friends.
 * Malka – A brownish lion cub and Simba's stepbrother, who is also a friend of Fluffy.
 * Fluffy – A rare golden lioness cub with whiskers.

Additionally, several characters from the television series of The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa make cameo appearances: Fred, Jumbo Jumbo the Elephant, and Ned the Elephant, to which Bullock, Fraley and Welker reprise their roles from the television series, while Uncle Boaris and Uncle Ernie are briefly mentioned by Pumbaa.

During pre-production of the film, Corey Burton, Tahj Dayton Mowry, Tara Strong, Tress MacNeille, Jeff Bennett, Lisa Ortiz, Grey DeLisle, Valery Pappas, W. Morgan Sheppard, Jim Cummings, Brian Cummings, Townsend Coleman, Brad Garrett, Marc Schiff, Bill Fagerbakke, and Steve Mackall were meant to reprise their voice roles as C. Quint, Speedy the Snail, Nefu, Claudia, Tatiana, the Duke Meerkat, Toucan Dan, Sharla, Leslie Lambeau, Jean Farrel, Captain Bloodbeard, Boudreaux, Uncle Boaris, the vulture police, Boss Beaver renamed as "Majava", Boy Beaver renamed as "Haukkua", Bigfoot, Dr. Happy, and Happy Dog, but their scenes did not make the theatrical cut of the film. However, only Quint, Tatiana, the Duke Meerkat, Toucan Dan, Sharla, Jean Farrel, and Uncle Boaris do appear during the climax of the Outlands Cut, alongside Ron Perlman and Keith David as the voices of King Leopold and Uncle Ernie.

Gabriel C. Brown provided the voice as Nyeusi, a black western-skink and Shupavu's spy, who is mute, but his hissing can be translated by Shupavu, although Brown was not listed in the credits. C. C. H. Pounder, Amy Poehler, Behzad Dabu, AJ McLean, and Christopher Jackson voiced Kongwe, Kinyonga, Azaad, Shujaa, and Kuchimba in uncredited cameos during the series of mid and post-credits scenes. Vanellope Von Schweetz was also meant to appear, who appears wearing a Pumbaa costume from a Broadway show, with Sarah Silverman reprising her voice role from Wreck-It-Ralph, but was also cut out from the theatrical release of the film.


 * Notes

Production

 * See also: The Lion King Reborn/Production

"Since November 2016, I have become a huge fan of The Lion King and started to come up with a extended version of the original movie. I would use its sequel Simba's Pride and it's midquel Hakuna Matata for a point-of-view with Timon Berkowitz and Pumbaa Smith, not just having to storytell Simba. After a few months on figuring out, this film will soon be released onto Ideas Wikia published from YouTube for fans loving my favorite choice of well-known actors, including Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick, Black Reel Award winner Gabrielle Union, Golden Globe Award winner Angela Bassett, Laurence Olivier Award winner Nathan Lane, Daytime Emmy Award winner Ernie Sabella, and Drama League Award winner Jeremy Irons, as well as co-starring Eden Riegel, Max Charles, Joshua Rush, Diamond White, Nika Futterman, Jason Marsden, Andy Dick, Lacey Chabert, Rowan Atkinson and Khary Payton. Even though for a director, I'm also the narrator when you see this interesting. For fans liking the films and the Lion Guard, they will adore this upcoming ultimate film of the year: The Lion King Reborn."

- Christian Myers

It was originally planned to be released in summer of 2017, known as The Lion King: The Special Edition Cut. It is to be rated PG for mild rude humor, action and peril. Christan Myers, who would soon voiced Africalous, came on board to tie the films on Movie Maker. However, in April 2018, the film's title would then be changed to The Lion King: The King Has Returned with the Lion Guard confirmed. On May, the film's title was changed again to its title: The Lion King: Return of the King. A teaser trailer will be released soon. On June 14th, the title was once changed again to its official title The Lion King Reborn. On July 5th, Myers has stated that the film would be "darker" and more "serious" in tone than from previous The Lion King adaptations.

The film includes The Lion King, its sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, its midquel The Lion King 1½: Hakuna Matata, as well as episodes of The Lion Guard from Season 1, Season 2 and Season 3, including "Return of the Roar", "Never Judge A Hyena By Its Spots", "The Rise of Makuu", "Bunga the Wise", "Eye of the Beholder", "The Kupatana Celebration", "Fuli's New Family", "The Search for Utamu", "Follow That Hippo!", "The Call of the Drongo", "Paintings and Predictions", "The Mbali Fields Migration", "Bunga and the King", "The Imaginary Okapi", "Too Many Termites", "The Trouble with Galagos", "Janja's New Crew", "Lions of the Outlands", "Never Roar Again", "The Lost Gorillas", "The Trail to Udugu", "Ono's Idol", "Beshte and the Hippo Lanes", "Ono the Tickbird", "Babysitter Bunga", "The Savannah Summit", "The Traveling Baboon Show", "Ono and the Egg", "The Rise of Scar", "Let Sleeping Crocs Lie", "Swept Away", "Rafiki's New Neighbors", "Rescue in the Outlands", "The Ukumbusho Tradition", "The Bite of Kenge", "The Morning Report", "The Golden Zebra", "The Little Guy", "Divide and Conquer", "The Scorpion's Sting", "The Widsom of Kongwe", "The Kilio Valley Fire", "Undercover Kinyonga", and "The Scar Resistance".

Casting
In early February 2018, it was confirmed that Matthew Broderick, Cam Clarke, Nathan Lane, Kevin Schon, Quinton Flynn, Ernie Sabella, Nancy Cartwright, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Moira Kelly, Rowan Atkinson, Edward Hibbert, Tress MacNeille, Jeff Bennett, S. Scott Bullock, Julie Kavner, Jerry Stiller, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, Kevin Michael Richardson, Billy West, Tara Strong, Frank Welker, Corey Burton, Neve Campbell, Jason Marsden, Andy Dick, and Lacey Chabert would reprise their roles as Simba, Timon, Monti, Pumbaa, Baampu, Pumbaa Jr., Scar, Mufasa, Nala, Zazu, Tatiana, the Duke Meerkat, Toucan Dan, Fred, Ma, Uncle Max, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed, Tumbaa, Pimon, Princess Claudia, King Leopold, Quint, Speedy the Snail, Kiara, Kovu, Nuka, and young Vitani from the films and the TV series Timon & Pumbaa, with archive recordings of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matt Weinberg, Niketa Calame, Michelle Horn, Ryan O'Donohue, Robert Guillaume, Madge Sinclair, Zoe Leader, Jason Rudofsky, Suzanne Pleshette, and Jennifer Lien as young Simba, young Nala, young Kiara, young Kovu, Rafiki, Sarabi, Sarafina, Flinchy, Zira, and adult Vitani, respectively.

A month later in March, it was confirmed that Sarah Silverman would reprise her role as Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-it-Ralph, where the character would be dressed as Pumbaa for a Broadway show. It was also announced that Sarah Hyland, Madison Pettis, Andrew Kishino, and Vargus Mason would reprise their roles as Tiifu, Zuri, Janja, and Cheezi from The Lion Guard with Schon cast as Chungu. Carl Lumbly was also cast as Ahadi, Scar and Mufasa's father. However, the next month in April, she was taken out, having not any dialogue written out yet; also, Pumbaa Jr., Claudia, King Leopard, and Quint's scenes would be taken out, and since Lien has been arrested in 2015, Chabert re-dubbed her lines as adult Vitani, and Hibbert's lines as Zazu were re-dubbed by Atkinson.

In May 2018, it was announced that Clarke, Max Charles, Joshua Rush, Dusan Brown, Atticus Shaffer, Diamond White, Landry Bender, Maia Mitchell, Masise Klompus, Blair Underwood, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Greg Ellis, Kristofer Hivju, Christian Slater, Ford Riley, Ana Gasteyer, Phil LaMarr, Jacob Guenther, Justin Felbinger, Meghan Strange, Nolan North, Jorge Diaz, Lynette DuPree, Phil Lester, Dan Howell, John Rhys-Davis, and C. C. H. Pounder would reprise their roles as Mwoga, Kion, Bunga, Beshte, Ono, Fuli, Makini, Jasiri, Madoa, Makuu, Rani, Mzingo, Kenge, Ushari, Sumu, Reirei, Goigoi, Dogo, Mtoto, Shupavu, Tamka, Nduli, Ma Tembo, Hafifu, Majinuni, King Sokwe, and Kongwe from The Lion Guard with Sterling K. Brown re-dubbing Ahadi's lines after Lumbly had some time with some of his upcoming projects. KKDisney also announced that Gilbert Gottfried, the voice of Iago in the Aladdin franchise, would voice Kion as a adult. However, Myers announced that Kion would only appear as a cub. A month later, the rest of the cast was confirmed, including Common, Amber Hood, Sinbad, Steven Blum, Jack McBrayer, Charlie Adler, Marieve Herington, Ogie Banks, Beau Black, Fiona Hart, and Crimson Hart as Kiburi, Kijana, Uroho, Makucha, Badili, Nne, Wema, and Tunu. A couple of days later, multiple actors would re-dubbed some of the main characters' lines including Eden Riegel, Nika Futterman, Gabrielle Union, Khary Payton, Angela Bassett, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Seth Green, Kristin Chenoweth, and Sarah Paulson as Kiara, Zira, Nala, Rafiki, Sarabi, Chungu, Sumu, Mapigano, Shupavu, and Sarafina; Kelly, who originally voiced Nala, provided a additional voice as a minor Outsider lioness named Lionessia. On June 25th, it was confirmed that Tahj Dayton Mowry, Chris O'Dowd, Steve Mackall, Corey Burton, Jeff Bennett, Ron Perlman, Keith David and Collin Dean would voice Nefu, Boudreaux, Bartholomew, Speedy the Snail, Toucan Dan, the Duke Meerkat, Uncle Boaris, Uncle Ernie and Kopa. The character Kopa in this version happens to appear as a friend of Kiara, Tiifu and Zuri, rather than being as Simba's son in The Lion King comic series. The next day, however, it was announced that Kopa, Tatiana, Speedy the Snail, Tumbaa, Pimon, the Duke Meerkat, Nefu, Toucan Dan, the Duke Meerkat, Uncle Boaris, Uncle Ernie, Boudreaux, and Bartholomew would have their lines and scenes taken out, with Ernie and Boaris being mentioned by Pumbaa.

On July 2nd, it was announced that Sterling K. Brown and Seth Carr would voice Timon's father Pa and a younger Timon with Ahadi and baby Scar's scenes taken out. It was also confirmed that Dean would voice Paka, a serval kitten and one of Hamu's best friends. On July 6th, Rene Russo, who was confirmed to voice a younger version of Ma, was taken out from her script with Kavner re-dubbing her lines. On July 11th, it was announced that Bill Hader and James Corden would voice unknown in disclosed roles and Sarah Jessica Parker, who is Broderick's wife, would re-dub Wema and Tunu's lines. On the next day, Myers announced that Hader and Corden would voice Punda, a antelope and a member on Swala's herd, and Mongofu, a Pride Lander mongoose. On July 13th, it was announced that Denzel Whitaker, who originally voiced 15-year old Timon in meerkat years, would be taken out with Lane re-dubbing his lines. On July 16th, Mindy Kaling joined the cast to re-dub Kulinda's lines, who was originally voiced by story writer Elise Allen, and Myers announced that the film will be released sometime in 2019. On July 23rd, it was announced that Bill Fagerbakke would reprise his voice role as Bigfoot from The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, and Rob Lowe would voice Njano. On the next day, it was announced that Brad Garrett and Marc Schiff would reprise their roles as Boss Beaver and Boy Beaver, renamed as "Majava" and "Haukkua". On July 25th however, it was announced that Bigfoot, Majava, and Haukkua would appear only in the Outlands Cut. On July 26th, Patrick Fraley was interested into reprising his voice role as Jumbo Jumbo from The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, while Caleb McLaughlin was confirmed to voice Namiri, who is a renamed version of a panther cub appearing in Deviantart artists AChip and Kivuli's "Children play". On July 27th, Myers announced that Kongwe, Kinyonga, Kuchimba and Shujaa had their main roles cut out, and that they will appear in a sequel with The Lion King Reborn to be released in late 2018.

Critical response
The Lion King Reborn was released to critical acclaim from audiences, critics and even fans, who liked The Lion King franchise. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of "Certified Fresh" 95%, based one 580 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8 out of 10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 86 out of 100, based on 78 critics, indicating "Universal Acclaim". CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a rare "A+" grade. IGN holds a score of 9.8/10 and IMDb holds a score of 9.3/10 based on 325,922 votes. Since July 4th on Independence Day, IMDb holds The Lion Guard episode "The Scar Resistance" a rating of 9.8 out of 10 based on 8 votes.

Box office
TBD.

Marketing
It is scheduled to be released on Digital HD, DVD and Blu-ray, certified by THX Ltd. On Disc 1 of the DVD, it features the film in widescreen format, a behind-the-scene documentary, footage of the voice actors, DVD Rom, a set-up menu, THX Optimzer, and a sneak peak for Disc 2. On Disc 2, it features the film in fullscreen format, music videos, sneak peaks, hidden Easter egg surprises, "It's UnBungalievable" shorts, "Behind the Legend: Timon" with Peter Graves, "Who Wants to be King of the Jungle?" with Meredith Vieira, a set-up menu, and THX Optimzer. On both discs, it includes a Mystery Science Theater 3000-style commentary featuring Timon and Pumbaa. It will also be released on VHS, dating as one the rarest video tapes to ever be made and to be found and it marked the first Hollywood produced film to be on that format as well as the first Disney release on it since Bambi II.
 * See also: The Lion King Reborn/Marketing

Timon & Pumbaa's Ultimate Virtual Safari Breakdown
A short film entitled Timon & Pumbaa's Ultimate Virtual Safari Breakdown will be released on the film's home media, starring Timon, Pumbaa, Ma and Uncle Max, with Lane, Sabella, Kavner and Stiller reprising their roles from the film.
 * See also: Timon & Pumbaa's Ultimate Virtual Safari Breakdown

The Outlands Cut
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released an alternate version of the film on DVD and Blu-ray, titled The Outlands Cut. It added 109 minutes of previously unused footage, including a subplot involving Sarah Hyland and Madison Pettis' characters Tiifu and Zuri, whose roles were reduced to brief cameos in the theatrical release. Director Christian Myers explained that he wanted the theatrical film to be in higher quality without having any The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa episodes since several of them were in "[very] bad quality" and it would make it too long. He also thought of that the film had too many characters. Myers then decided to use several clips to show the film's deleted characters including Tatiana, Sharla, and Nefu's combined together in the Outlands Cut.
 * See also: The Lion King Reborn: The Outlands Cut

In the ending of both Timon & Pumbaa commentaries and the Outlands Cut, it was announced that multiple characters from Disney franchises, including Mickey Mouse & Friends, Kingdom Hearts, Marvel, The Muppets, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lady and the Tramp, Fantasia, Gravity Falls, Phineas & Ferb, Lilo & Stitch, Goof Troop, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, DuckTales, Gargoyles, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (after a long Hiatus and a legal battle between Disney and Amblin), The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pocahontas, Peter Pan, Little Einsteins, Miles from Tomorrowland, Goldie and Bear, Cinderella, The Buzz on Maggie, Kim Possible, The Weekenders, Recess, Fantasia, The Jungle Book, Dumbo, Song of the South, Sleeping Beauty, Tarzan, Toy Story, Star Wars, Hercules, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, Tangled, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Wander Over Yonder, Wreck-It-Ralph, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Frozen, Indiana Jones, Sofia the First, Vampirina, Milo Murphy's Law, Spectrobes, The Black Cauldron, the Rescuers, Monsters Inc., Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Robin Hood, Once Upon a Time, DuckTales, Epic Mickey, Boy Meets World, Darkwing Duck, Descendants, K.C. Undercover, Jessie, Inside Out, the Fox and the Hound, 101 Dalmatians and even Mulan would appear as silhouettes (along with several of their actors and actresses reprising their roles with some of them replaced) when Ma rewinds the film (albeit very slowly) are joined by the multiple characters, alongside Timon, Pumbaa, Uncle Max, Simba, Nala, Kion, Bunga and Rafiki. The inclusion of that ending marks one of the most expensive and the longest scenes ever included in a Home media release to date, as it had a massive staff of animators and as well as a variety of voice cast members joining to made this scene.

Video game
A video game for The Lion King Reborn will be released after the film's release. The game will include a story mode, a playable mode, and will have most of the cast returning from the film with a few exceptions: Cam Clarke as Simba; Vanessa Marshall as Nala and Shupavu; Tara Strong as Kiara and Nyata; Tress MacNeille as Shenzi and Ma; Jeff Bennett as Zazu and Uncle Max; Roger Craig Smith as Sumu and Njano; and Fred Tatasciore as Grindor and Ned, replacing Matthew Broderick, Gabrielle Union, Kristin Chenoweth, Eden Riegel, Whoopi Goldberg, Julie Kavner, Rowan Atkinson, Jerry Stiller, Adam Driver, Rob Lowe, and Frank Welker, respectively.
 * See also: The Lion King Reborn (video game)

Soundtrack
The film has most of the songs all three films: "Digga Tunnah", "That's All I Need", "Circle of Life", "The Morning Report", "I Just Can't Wait to be King", "Be Prepared", "Hakuna Matata", "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", "He Lives in You", and "We Are One". It also includes most of the songs from The Lion Guard, including: "A Beautiful Day (Ni Siku Nzuri)", "Zuka Zama", "Kion's Lament", "Here Comes the Lion Guard", "It Is Time", "Call of the Guard", "We're The Same (Sisi Ni Sawa)", "Jackal Style", "Utamu", "All Hail the Vultures", "Don't Make a Stink", "Bird of a Thousand Voices", "Panic and Run", "A Trail to Hope", "Teke Ruka Teleza", "My Own Way", "Bunga the Wise", "Outta the Way", "Life in the Pride Lands", "Find Your Roar", "Stand Up, Stand Out", "Lions Over All", "Kuishi ni Kucheka", "Bring Back A Legend", "May There Be Peace", "Hippo Lanes", "Running With The King", "I Do Have a Great Deal to Say", "Tickbirds and Rhinos", "Big Bad Kenge", "Fujo", "Look On The Bright Side", "Welcome To The Summit", "Hero Inside", "Fabulous Dhahabu", "We're The Smartest", "Give The Little Guy A Chance", "I Have a Plan", "Today Is My Way", and "Path of Honor". It was reported that the film would include songs from the Broadway version, which would soon includes songs "Chow Down", "Rafiki Mourns", "The Madness of King Scar", "Shadowland", and "Endless Night". On the soundtrack, it includes five bonus tracks: "Africa" by Toto; "I See a Kingdom" by Vanessa Williams; "Precious Wings" by Tatyana Ali; "Shed a Little Light" by James Taylor; and "Beethoven's Whiff/Bumble in the Jungle", a crossover of symphonies Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig von Beethoven and Poet and Peasant - Overture by Franz von Suppé, taken from the Timon & Pumbaa episode "Beethoven's Whiff/Bumble in the Jungle".
 * See also: The Lion King Reborn/Soundtrack

The films' scores were originally composed by Hans Zimmer, Nick Glennie-Smith and Don L. Harper, with The Lion Guard originally composed by Christopher Willis. The scores were arranged by Ludwig Göransson, the composer of Black Panther, and Nitin Sawhney, the composer of Mowgli, two films both released in 2018. It was reported that Elton John had signed onto the project to rework his musical compositions from the original film before his retirement.

Sequel
On July 27th, a sequel and a second-half to the remaster of The Lion King titled The Lion King Forever was confirmed by director Myers, to which he will return to direct, Hahn will return to produce, Göransson and Sawhney will return to compose the score, and Broderick, Irons, Union, Riegel, Marsden, Futterman, Lane, Sabella, Payton, Dick, Chabert, Atkinson, Underwood, Lee, Bender, Mitchell, Rush, White, Shaffer, Brown, and Charles will return to reprise their roles as Simba, Scar, Nala, Kiara, Kovu, Zira, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Nuka, Vitani, Zazu, Makuu, Lee, Makini, Jasiri, Bunga, Fuli, Ono, Beshte, and Kion from the previous film.
 * See also: The Lion King Forever

Credits

 * See also: The Lion King Reborn/Credits

Trivia

 * See also: The Lion King Reborn/Trivia

Rejected Ideas

 * See also: The Lion King Reborn/Rejected Ideas

Gallery

 * See also: The Lion King Reborn/Gallery

Polls
Do You Think The Lion King Reborn is a great idea? Yes No Do You Think The Lion King Reborn: The Outlands Cut is ANOTHER great idea? Yes No Are you interested in seeing The Lion King Reborn when it comes on this page? YES! I Am Very Excited! No. I'm Not That Interested. Who do you think is the best character in The Lion King Reborn? Simba Scar Kovu Nala Kiara Zira Pumbaa Timon Rafiki Fuli Jasiri Shenzi Nuka Vitani Zazu Makuu Banzai Tiifu Ed Rani Makini Bunga Ono Beshte Ma (Timon's mother) Uncle Max Sarabi Kion Africalous (the film's narrator) Pa (a.k.a. Fearless Buzz) Zuri Sarafina Mufasa Ushari Janja Reirei Kiburi Mzingo Shupavu Sumu