The Lion King Reborn (2024 film)

The Lion King Reborn is an upcoming 2024 American animated epic, adventure, musical, drama, buddy and dark comedy film based on Disney's 1994 film The Lion King. It is the unofficial fifth installment of the Lion King franchise produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney Television Animation, Mercury Filmworks and Fairview Entertainment, distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, and a reboot of Disney's 2019 film of the same name preceding it a few years earlier. The film will be directed by Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers, written by Jeff Nathanson and Kendall Michele Haney, and starring an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, Gabrielle Union, Ernie Sabella, Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons, Khary Payton, Rowan Atkinson, Alfre Woodard, Eden Riegel, Jason Marsden, Lacey Chabert, Nika Futterman, Andy Dick, Madison Pettis, Sarah Hyland, Joshua Rush, Diamond White, James Earl Jones, and Max Charles.

Plans for an animated reboot of The Lion King Reborn were confirmed on July 2019 following the success of Jon Favreau's photorealistic remake of Disney's 1994 film of the same name. Animation began on August 3 at Walt Disney Animation Studios with a large cast consisting mostly of voice actors and actresses reprising their roles from the original films and television series. The production will last until mid-2023.

The film will be released on Vimeo in IMAX format, July 19th, 2024.

Synopsis
A lion named Simba is fulfilled to succeed his father, Mufasa, as the king of the Pride Lands after his evil younger brother Scar murders him in a massively wildebeest stampede. A meerkat and warthog duo named Timon and Pumbaa search a place as their dream home with no predators via the word "Hakuna Matata" (a meaning to "no worries" in Swahili). Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara meets a male rogue lion named Kovu, who is from a banished pride that was once loyal to Scar. When Simba and Nala's second-born son Kion and Ono the egret get injured in an attempt to defeat Scar's fiery spirit in the battle for the Pride Lands, the Lion Guard — consisting Kion's friends Fuli the cheetah, Bunga the honey badger, Beshte the hippopotamus, Anga the martial eagle, and Makini the mandrill — embark on a journey for the Tree of Life to regain Kion and Ono the strengths they need, and defend the Circle of Life.

Returning cast members from the original film includes Matthew Broderick (Paramount Pictures' "Ferris Bueller's Day Off") as Simba, Jeremy Irons (United Artists' "The French Lieutenant's Woman") as Scar, Nathan Lane as (Universal Pictures' "The Producers") as Timon, Ernie Sabella (Warner Bros. Television's "Perfect Strangers") as Pumbaa, Rowan Atkinson (Tiger Aspect Productions' "Mr. Bean") as Zazu, Jason Marsden (Walt Disney Pictures' "A Goofy Movie") as Kovu, and James Earl Jones (20th Century Fox's "Star Wars") as Mufasa.

Voice cast

 * Main article: List of The Lion King characters on Wikipedia

An African lion, son of Mufasa and Sarabi, who is the crown prince of the Pride Lands. Simba later becomes Nala's husband, and Kiara's overprotective father. A lioness, who is Simba's best friend and later his future love-interest, Queen of the Pride Lands, and Kiara and Kion's mother. A naïve, but hearten common warthog, who becomes Timon's symbiotic partner, one of Simba's adoptive parents and Bunga's adoptive uncles. Though slow-witted, Pumbaa is very empathetic and willing to trust and befriend anyone. He is also claustrophobic and passes gas in crowds. A comedic meerkat, who becomes Pumbaa's best friend, one of Simba's adoptive parents and Bunga's adoptive uncles. Though somewhat selfish, arrogant, and withdrawn, Timon shows courageous loyalty towards his friends. Mufasa's treacherous younger brother, Simba's uncle, and Kiara and Kion's granduncle, who overtakes the throne and seeks to take the mantle of king after his brother's death. A wise mandrill, who teaches Timon Hakuna Matata, as well as giving him faith in himself to do what he dreams of doing. Rafiki also serves as the shaman of the lion king to present newborn cubs of the king and queen to the animals of the Pride Lands. A Tanzanian red-billed hornbill, who serves as the lion king's majordomo (or "Mufasa's little stooge", as Shenzi calls him). The Queen of Pride Rock, who is the leader of the lioness hunting party, Mufasa's devoted mate, and Simba's mother. A lioness, the daughter of Simba and Nala, Kion's older sister, and Mufasa's granddaughter, who grows up to become future queen of the Pride Lands. A lion 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. Zira's aggressive and spunky daughter, and Nuka and Kovu's sister. The leader of the Outsiders, Scar's most loyal follower and Nuka, Vitani, and Kovu's widowed mother. Zira's son, Vitani and Kovu's older brother and the oldest male of Zira's family. An unhinged hysterical hyena, who laughs a lot and is Scar's henchman. An aggressive and hot-headed Mexican-accent hyena prone to complaining and acting on impulse, who is Scar's henchman. The sassy and short-tempered female leader of her hyena clan. A spunky, yet friendly teenage hyena living in the Outlands, who is the leader of her clan and the Outlanders. Unlike Janja, Jasiri respects the Circle of Life and her clan scavenges for leftovers. A curious mandrill, who is Rafiki's apprentice. A young martial eagle, who is a friend of Beshte, and the keenest of sight of the Lion Guard. 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 sassy cheetah, who is the fastest member of the Lion Guard, Kion's friend and second-in-command. A young hippopotamus, who is the strongest member of the Lion Guard and Kion's friend. A young cattle egret, who is the smartest member of the Lion Guard and Kion's friend. Timon's caring mother. She is overly protective and attached to her son, often trying to get him accepted amongst the colony, but never succeeding. Timon's paranoid, eccentric but deep down kind-hearted uncle. He initially doubts Timon's ability, but warms up to him. Simba's father, Scar's older brother, Kiara and Kion's grandfather, and the former king of the Pride Lands. A 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. At the end of the battle for the Pride Lands, Kion gets a scar across his left eye due to Ushari donning him. A legendary African hawk-eagle, who faked having invented the Hadithi Spin. A Nile crocodile, who is the leader of his float. An arrogant crocodile, who is the leader of the float. They defied their leader Makuu's orders and were exiled for their evil deeds. An African bush elephant, who is the leader of the herd in Kilio Valley. A stubborn sable antelope, who is the leader of his herd, and values respective politely behavior. A cunning, arrogant and vicious, later a kind hearted and loyal hyena, who is the leader of his clan. A excitable hyena living in the Outlands, who is one of Janja's right-hand henchmen. An unintelligent hyena living in the Outlands, who is the other of Janja's right-hand henchmen. A stout but sly and smart spotted hyena. A sloping but devious and smart spotted hyena. An Egyptian cobra, who used to live in the Pride Lands and would get disturbed whenever the Lion Guard was near him. After being trampled by the Lion Guard one to many times, he allies with Janja to resurrect Scar and take over the Pride Lands.
 * Matthew Broderick as Simba
 * Gabrielle Union as Nala
 * Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa
 * Nathan Lane as Timon
 * Jeremy Irons as Scar
 * Khary Payton as Rafiki
 * Rowan Atkinson as Zazu
 * Alfre Woodard as Sarabi
 * Eden Riegel as Kiara
 * Jason Marsden as Kovu
 * Lacey Chabert as Vitani
 * Nika Futterman as Zira
 * Andy Dick as Nuka
 * Jim Cummings as Ed
 * Cheech Marin as Banzai
 * Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi
 * Maia Mitchell as Jasiri
 * Landry Bender as Makini
 * Bryana Salaz as Anga
 * Joshua Rush as Bunga
 * Diamond White as Fuli
 * Dusan Brown as Beshte
 * Atticus Shaffer as Ono
 * Julie Kavner as Timon's Ma
 * Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max
 * James Earl Jones as Mufasa
 * Max Charles as Kion
 * John O'Hurley as Hadithi
 * Blair Underwood as Makuu
 * Common as Kiburi
 * Lynette Dupree as Ma Tembo
 * Michael Dorn as Bupu
 * Andrew Kishino as Janja
 * Vargus Mason as Cheezi
 * Kevin Schon as Chungu
 * Beau Black as Nne
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Tano
 * Christian Slater as Ushari

Madison Pettis and Sarah Hyland will reprise the voices of Kiara's best friends Zuri and Tiifu from The Lion Guard.

Additionally, Christopher Jackson, Meghan Strange, Jeff Bennett, Kari Wahlgren, and the late Russi Taylor are cast in undisclosed roles. The film will mark one of the last U.S. animated theatrical releases to feature Taylor, who died in July 2019.

Development
Shortly after the success of the 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King, director Jon Favreau announced there would a reboot of the 2019 animated remake of the 1994 film. Favreau, Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers, Don Hahn and Ford Riley, the executive producer of The Lion Guard, came on board to tie the original films and television series together on Filmora 9.

The film will include the 1994 original release of The Lion King, its 1998 sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, its 2004 midquel/prequel The Lion King 1½, and as well as numerous episodes of The Lion Guard, including "Return of the Roar", "The Rise of Scar", "Battle for the Pride Lands", "Never Judge a Hyena by its Spots", "Lions of the Outlands", "The Scorpion's Sting", "The Wisdom of Kongwe", "Pride Landers Unite!", "The Fall of Mizimu Grove", "The Harmattan", "The Accidental Avalanche", "Ghost of the Mountain", "Marsh of Mystery", "Dragon Island", "Journey of Memories", "The Race to Tuliza", and "Mama Binturong".

Casting
In July 2019, the majority of the voice cast was announced, including Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, Rowan Atkinson, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Alfre Woodard, Jason Marsden, Lacey Chabert, Andy Dick, and James Earl Jones reprising their respective roles as Simba, Scar, Zazu, Timon, Pumbaa, Sarabi, Kovu, Vitani, Nuka, and Mufasa from the original film.

In August 2019, following the release of "Battle for the Pride Lands", it was announced that numerous voice personalities would all reprise their roles from The Lion Guard, including Maia Mitchell as Jasiri, Landry Bender as Makini, Bryana Salaz as Anga, John O'Hurley as Hadithi, Blair Underwood as Makuu, Common as Kiburi, and Christian Slater as Ushari.

Music
In July 2019, Hans Zimmer signed on to compose the film's score. Christopher Willis, who composes the musical score in The Lion Guard, will also contribute music to the score, using Zimmer's musical note of "This Land" from the original 1994 film to create a new hybrid theme.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, who voices Nala in the live-action remake, will write a new song with Elton John, who had signed onto the project to rework his musical compositions shortly before his retirement, and several songs written by John, Tim Rice, and Beau Black will also be featured as well.

Returning original songs will include "Circle of Life", "I Just Can't Wait to be King", "Hakuna Matata", "Can You Feel the Love Tonight", "We Are One", "My Lullaby", "Kion's Lament", "Bring Back a Legend", "Tujiinue", "When I Led the Guard", and "Call of the Guard".

Release
The film will be released in North America on July 19, 2024, marking the 30th anniversary of the release of The Lion King.

Transcript
Main article: The Lion King Reborn (2024 film)/Transcript

Gallery
Main article: The Lion King Reborn (2024 film)/Gallery

Trivia

 * The film marks as the unofficial fifth animated film in The Lion King franchise.
 * The film is dedicated to the late Russi Taylor.