The Lion Guard: The Dawn of Zira's Pride

The Lion Guard: The Dawn of Zira's Pride is an upcoming 2021 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Pictures based on the Disney Junior series The Lion Guard. A sequel to The Rise of the Roar, it is the second installment in the Lion Guard reboot series and a film part of the Disney Reborn Multiverse. With Howy Parkins and Tom Derosier returning to direct alongside a screenplay written by John Loy, Elise Allen, Kevin Hopps, Ford Riley, Kendall Michele Haney, and Chelsea Beyl, the film will star the voice talents of Max Charles, Joshua Rush, Atticus Shaffer, Dusan Brown, and Diamond White reprising their roles as Kion, Bunga, Ono, Beshte and Fuli from the television series. Returning co-stars will include Rob Lowe, Eden Riegel, Khary Payton, Andrew Kishino, Gabrielle Union, Gary Anthony Williams, Jason Marsden, Nika Futterman, Lacey Chabert, and Andy Dick.

It has been announced for a release date on November 19th, 2021.

Voice cast

 * Main article: List of The Lion Guard characters

On April 2018, Disney has announced that The Lion King Reborn would feature Kion, Bunga, Fuli, Ono and Beshte, with Max Charles, Joshua Rush, Diamond White, Atticus Shaffer and Dusan Brown reprising their roles from the television series. However, on March 2019, it has been confirmed that their scenes had been taken out to reboot The Lion Guard for the future due to its former long runtime. In The Dawn of Zira's Pride, it will feature Jason Marsden, Lacey Chabert and Andy Dick reprising their roles as Kovu, Vitani and Nuka from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride while Nika Futterman will replace the late Suzanne Pleshette as the voice of Zira. An east African lion, who is Simba and Nala's second-born son, Mufasa's grandson, Kiara's younger brother, the Prince of the Pride Lands, and the leader of the Lion Guard, as well as its fiercest member. As leader of the Guard, Kion possesses an intensely powerful ability known as the Roar of the Elders bestowed by the great lions of the past. A honey badger, who is the bravest member of the Lion Guard. He is also Timon and Pumbaa's adoptive nephew and Kion's best friend. Bunga's fearless and hot-headed nature is grounded in reality, as real honey badgers are aggressive and fearless. A cattle egret, who is the keenest of sight of the Lion Guard and Kion's friend. A hippopotamus, who is the strongest member of the Lion Guard and Kion's friend. A cheetah, who is the fastest member of the Lion Guard, the only female member, Kion's friend and second-in-command. A lion, who is King of the Pride Lands, Nala's husband, and Kion's father. A lioness cub, Kion's older sister, and the daughter of Simba and Nala, who grows up to become future Queen of the Pride Lands. A wise mandrill, who serves as shaman of the lion king, and is a Royal Mjuzi (a Pride Lands word for knowledge keeper and advisory). A cunning and ruthless teenage hyena, who is the leader of the clan. He hates Jasiri for respecting the Circle of Life and for being all nice and kind, unlike other hyenas. A lioness, who is Simba's wife, Queen of the Pride Lands, and Kiara and Kion's mother. Simba's father and the late King of the Pride Lands. Since his death after being killed into a wildebeest stampede orchestrated by Scar, Mufasa lives on as a spirit that gives his grandson Kion advice on how to get through any tough plight. A teenage lion cub living in the Outlands, who is Zira's son, Nuka and Vitani's younger brother, and the chosen successor of Scar to become King of the Pride Lands. The leader of the Outsiders, Scar's most loyal follower and Nuka, Vitani, and Kovu's widowed mother. Zira's aggressive and spunky daughter, and Nuka and Kovu's sister. Zira's son, Vitani and Kovu's older brother and the oldest male of Zira's family.
 * Max Charles as Kion
 * Joshua Rush as Bunga
 * Atticus Shaffer as Ono
 * Dusan Brown as Beshte
 * Diamond White as Fuli
 * Rob Lowe as Simba
 * Eden Riegel as Kiara
 * Khary Payton as Rafiki
 * Andrew Kishino as Janja
 * Gabrielle Union as Nala
 * Gary Anthony Williams as Mufasa
 * Jason Marsden as Kovu
 * Nika Futterman as Zira
 * Lacey Chabert as Vitani
 * Andy Dick as Nuka

Additionally, several characters from the television series including Reieri, Cheezi, Chungu, Timon, Pumbaa, Tiifu, Zuri, Jasiri, Mzingo, Mtoto, Ajabu, Makucha, Mjomba, Laini, Badili, Mapigano, Madoa, Tunu and Wema will reportedly also appear.

Development
On 25th March 2019, following the release of The Lion Guard episode "The Fall of Mizimu Grove", writer Kendall Michele Haney revealed that the television series starting with "Return of the Roar" would kick off an "epic serialized story" which will last through to the end of Season 3, dividing it into seven films.

The film will feature Season 1 episodes 12-21: "The Mbali Fields Migration", "Bunga and the King", "The Imaginary Okapi", "Too Many Termites!", "The Trouble with Galagos", "Janja's New Crew", "Baboons!", "Beware the Zimwi", and "Lions of the Outlands".

Casting
Early in April 2018, it was rumored that Rush, White, Shaffer, Brown and Charles would return as Bunga, Fuli, Ono, Beshte and Kion to appear in The Lion King Reborn, but then were unfinished to have the roles be in the final cut, which would later be included for an upcoming reboot series of the television show of the same name as of March 2019.

On 23rd April 2019, Lowe, Riegel, Payton, Kishino, and Union were confirmed to voice Simba, Kiara, Rafiki, Janja, and Nala, Mufasa once again. Marsden, Futterman, Chabert, and Dick will return as the voices of Kovu, Zira, Vitani, and Nuka from "Lions of the Outlands".

Visual effects
The visual effects are provided by Mercury Filmworks, and supervised by The Lion Guard composer Christopher Willis.

Music
Christopher Willis will compose the score as he did for the television series.

Release
The film is set to be released in November 19th, 2021.

Trivia

 * Nika Futterman has voiced Asajj Ventress in the Cartoon Network-Disney+ series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.