The Lion Guard: The Rise of the Roar

The Lion Guard: The Rise of the Roar is an upcoming 2020 American-South Korea animated film produced by Walt Disney Pictures based on the Disney Junior series The Lion Guard. It is also the first installment in the Lion Guard reboot series and a film part of the Disney Reborn Multiverse. Directed by Howy Parkins alongside a screenplay written by Ford Riley, Kevin Hopps, John Loy, Jack Monaco and Elise Allen, 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 and James Earl Jones.

The film was first announced on April 22nd 2019, following the release of The Lion Guard Season 2 finale "Fire from the Sky". Parkins returned to direct in that same month, and Riley, Hopps, Loy, Monaco and Allen signed in to write the script again.

It is currently scheduled to be released on YouTube, December 25th, 2020.

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. 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 dimwitted 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 southeast African 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.
 * 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
 * James Earl Jones as Mufasa

Additionally, several characters from the television series including Reieri, Cheezi, Chungu, Timon, Pumbaa, Tiifu, Zuri, Jasiri, Zazu, Basi, Makuu, Mzingo, Mtoto and Kambuni 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.

Ford Riley has confirmed that the film will feature the television series' pilot "Return of the Roar", and Season 1 episodes 1-11: "Never Judge a Hyena By Its Spots", "The Rise of Makuu", "Bunga the Wise", "Can't Wait to be Queen", "Eye of the Beholder", "The Kupatana Celebration", "Fuli's New Family", "The Search for Utamu", "Follow That Hippo!", "The Call of the Drongo" and "Paintings and Predictions".

On 22nd April 2019, the title for the first installment was announced as The Lion Guard: The Rise of the Roar.

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 22nd April 2019, Lowe, Riegel, Payton, Kishino, Union and Jones were confirmed to voice Simba, Kiara, Rafiki, Janja, Nala and Mufasa once again in their supporting roles.

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 December 25th, 2020.

Sequels
Up ahead, six sequels of The Lion Guard are to be released sometime in the future.

Trivia

 * Dusan Brown was not new to The Lion King, having played young Simba in the Broadway show's North American Tour.
 * The film will celebrate the 5th anniversary of the premiered release of The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar.