The Lion King Reborn

The Lion King: The Special Edition Cut is an upcoming American animated film released by Disney and Columbia Pictures, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Sony Pictures Releasing. As the film was directed by Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers, Darrell Rooney, Rob LaDuca, and Bradley Raymond, as well by written a ensemble group of story writers, it is also be the first film in the Disney Extended Platinum Collections.

Featuring songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, it also includes an ensemble voice cast starring Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, Moira Kelly, James Earl Jones, Rowan Atkinson, Robert Guillaume, Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, Neve Campbell, Jim Cummings, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jerry Stiller, Andy Dick, Julie Kavner, Jennifer Lien, Madge Sinclair, Ernie Sabella, and Nathan Lane. The film also marks the last film appearance of Guillaume who died in October 2017 as the film dedicates his memory.

The film talks about a lion cub named Simba, who was born to be King of Pride Rock. But suddenly, when his father gets killed in a wildebeest stampede, by his uncle Scar, he gets banished 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.

It is scheduled to be released in 2018 sometime.

Cast

 * Matthew Broderick as Simba: Son of Queen Sarabi and king Mufasa, who grows up to be the king of Pride Rock. Joseph Williams and Cam Clarke provided the singing voice of Simba.
 * Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matt Weinberg voiced Simba as a cub, while Jason Weaver and Evan Saucedo provided the cub's singing voice.
 * Jeremy Irons as Scar: Mufasa's mischievous younger brother and Simba's uncle, who overtakes the throne.
 * Moira Kelly as Nala: Simba's best friend later wife as the Queen of Pride Rock. Sally Dworsky provided the singing voice of Nala.
 * Niketa Calame voiced Nala as a cub, while Laura Williams provided the cub's singing voice.
 * James Earl Jones as Mufasa: Simba's father and the previous king of Pride Rock.
 * Rowan Atkinson as Zazu: A hornbill, who is the the majordomo ("Mufasa's little stooge" as Shenzi calls him) of the Lion King. Jeff Bennett provided the singing voice of Zazu.
 * Robert Guillaume as Rafiki: A wise old mandrill and the shaman of Pride Rock, who presents the new king to the animals. He is also the narrator of the film. This marks the last film appearance of Guillaume who died in October 2017.
 * Suzanne Pleshette as Zira: The mother of Kovu, Nuka and Vitani, Scar's late widow and the leader of exiled lion groups named "Outsiders".
 * Jason Marsden as Kovu: The younger son of Zira, who later becomes Kiara's husband and the prince of Pride Rock. Gene Miller provided his singing voice.
 * Ryan O'Donohue voiced Kovu as a cub.
 * Neve Campbell as Kiara: Simba and Nala's daughter and the princess of Pride Rock. Liz Callaway provided Kiara's singing voice.
 * Michelle Horn voiced Kiara as a cub, while Charity Sanoy provided her singing voice. Ashley Edner provided her lion growls.
 * Jim Cummings as Azazi: A spotted hyena and a member in the hyena clan, who first serve as the predators in Timon's colony before severing as the henchmen for Scar.
 * Cummings also voices a mole that talks with Zazu, the meerkat guard leader, Boaris, Pumbaa's uncle and a Russian ballet dancer, and makes a guest appearance as Rafiki for some of his lines after Guillaume's death.
 * Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi: The leader of the hyena clan.
 * Cheech Marin as Kamari: A member of the hyena clan and Shenzi's husband.
 * Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max: Timon's paranoid, eccentric but deep down kind-hearted uncle.
 * Andy Dick as Nuka: The older son of Zira, who is the older 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.
 * Jennifer Lien as Vitani: The daughter of Zira and the sister of Kovu and Nuka.
 * Lacey Chabert voiced Vitani as a cub, while Crysta Macalush provided her singing voice.
 * Madge Sinclair as Sarabi: Simba's mother, Mufasa's wife, Kiara's grandmother and the previous Queen of Pride Rock.
 * Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa Smith: 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.
 * Nathan Lane as Timon Berkowitz: A wise-cracking and self-absorbed yet somewhat loyal meerkat, who becomes one of Simba's best friends and adoptive parents.

Additionally, Sarah Silverman reprises her voice role as Vanellope von Schweetz from the movie Wreck-It Ralph in a cameo appearance as Vanellope appears in a Sugar Rush machine when Timon and Pumbaa build the jungle arcade. Several voice actors and actresses voiced several meerkats including: S. Scott Bullock as Fred, Timon's best friend who makes jokes; Jason Rudofsky as Flinchy, a sentry duty member; Tress MacNeille as Tatiana, the princess of the colony and Timon's love interest; and director Bradley Raymond as Buzz, the greatest meerkat there ever was and Timon's late father.

Zoe Leader voiced Sarafina, Nala's mother and a friend of Sarabi, while Brian Tochi voiced a fighting hyena. Frank Welker provided the vocals for all the animals, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt has an uncredited cameo reprising his role as Jim Hawkins from Treasure Planet in a post-credits scene.

Release
It film is rated PG-13 for intense thematic elements, rude humor, action and mayhem.

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

Soundtrack
As the score was composed by Hans Zimmer, Nick Glennie-Smith, Don L. Harper and Christopher Willis, the songs were written by Elton John, Lebo M. and Tim Rice. Elton John and Lebo M. performed some of the songs as additional performers include Carmen Twillie, Lebo M., Nathan Lane, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Weaver, Rowan Atkinson, Laura Williams, Jeremy Irons, Ernie Sabella, Sally Dworsky, Joseph Williams, Charity Sanoy, Cam Clarke, Crysta Macalush, Suzanne Pleshette, Andy Dick, Robert Guillaume, Liz Callaway and Gene Miller. The songs in the film include Circle of Life, That's All I Need, The Morning Report, Lioness' Hunt, I Just Can't Wait to be King, Chow Down, Be Prepared, Hakuna Matata, Warthog Rhapsody, The Madness of King Scar, Shadowland, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Endless Night, He Lives in You, We Are One, My Lullaby, Upendi, One of Us, and Love Will Find a Way. The soundtrack also consists of various covers of pop songs, such as Hugh Masekela's Grazing in the Grass performed by Raven-Symoné, Kool and the Gang's Jungle Boogie performed by Drew K. and The French, The Lion Sleeps Tonight performed by Lebo M. and Vinx, the "Merchant of Death" theme from the 2008 film Iron Man, "Sunrise, Sunset" from the musical Fiddler on the Roof, the eponymous theme song from the television show Peter Gunn composed by Henry Mancini and also features the instrumental theme "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" composed by Ennio Morricone.

Critical response
The Lion King: The Special Edition Cut was released to critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 97%, based on 251 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5 out of 10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 88 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". CinemaScore reported that audiences gave the film a rare "A+" grade.