The Lion King Reborn

"Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king. Remember who you are."

- Mufasa's ghost to Simba

The Lion King: The King Has Returned is an upcoming American animated epic muscial comedy-drama film released by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation Studios, as well as distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It serves a extended version of Disney's well-known animated film The Lion King, conjoining it with its sequels and spin-offs. As the film was directed by Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers and Howy Parkins, produced by Don Hahn, executive produced by Jon Favreau, Don Bluth, Jeannine Roussel, George A. Mendoza, Darrell Rooney, Rob LaDuca and Bradley Raymond and written by a ensemble group of story writers, it is also the 16th film in the Disney Platinum Universe.

The film tells the story of Simba, a young lion who is to succeed his father, Mufasa, as King of the Pride Lands; however, after Simba's uncle Scar (Mufasa's jealous younger brother), tries to murder Mufasa, Simba is manipulated into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile, alongside with his childhood friend, Nala. Now an young adult, Simba is given some valuable perspective from Nala and his shaman, Rafiki, before returning to challenge Scar to end his tyranny and take his place in the Circle of Life as the rightful King. The film also follows a subplot involving a meerkat and warthog duo named Timon and Pumbaa, who search a place as their dream home with no predators via the word "Hakuna Matata" (a meaning to "no worries"), coming across some scenes in the main plot.

Featuring songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, the film also includes narration by Christian Myers, who protrayed director Allers, and an ensemble voice cast featuring Matthew Broderick as Simba, Jeremy Irons as Taka / Scar, Suzanne Pleshette as Zira, Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Rani, Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, Moira Kelly as Nala, Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, Nathan Lane as Timon, Julie Kavner as Ma, Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max, Neve Campbell as Kiara, Jason Marsden as Kovu, Andy Dick as Nuka, Joshua Rush as Bunga, Diamond White as Fuli, with Madge Sinclair as Sarabi, with Robert Guillaume as Rafiki and Max Charles as Kion. It also marks the last film appearance of Guillaume, who died in October 2017 as the film dedicates his memory. The film is scheduled to be released in IMAX 3D theaters.

Plot
In 2018, at the Walt Disney Company, filmmakers have just finished their project on their latest episode of The Lion Guard named "The Scorpion's Sting". Director Roger Allers was there as a guest before he grabs a book and starts to read the story to the audience.

In the Pride Lands of Africa, a lion rules over the animal kingdom from Pride Rock. Timon is a social outcast in his meerkat colony on the outskirts of the Pride Lands known as the "Pit of Shame". 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, while Timon decides to have a date with the princess of the meerkats, Tatiana. As he takes a shower, a giant cobra breaks in and kidnaps Tatiana. As it saddens the colony, the Captain of the guards senses that Timon isn't with the other guards, and when they see Timon about to date, the guards chase after him. Timon runs into a dead end after facing the Duke, and is put on trial for abandoning his guard post. The jury finds Timon guilty for that and he is sentenced to live in banishment, cast out of the colony. Ma tries to convince his son to be back in, prompting Timon to leave to find a better life.

Timon meets Rafiki, the king's shaman, who teaches him 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 gets lost and alone, and gasps at the sound of laughter and finds himself inside the mouth of Ed. He runs out of Ed's mouth and runs into Pumbaa, who was captured by the hyenas. Pumbaa, having been tricked, asks Timon if they invited him over for dinner too. The hyenas gang up on them, saying that they'll have a little "'kat"-nip, and then that they'll "pig" out. Timon and Pumbaa make a run for it, away from the hyenas, and they say their goodbyes and go their separate ways. However, that wouldn't last...

In the evening, while heading to Pride Rock, Timon runs into Pumbaa again, with the latter asking the former if he was going to the colony. The two quickly form a bond and Pumbaa accompanies Timon. The adventure start to where 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. Mufasa's younger brother, Scar (born as Taka), covets the throne and plots to eliminate Mufasa and Simba so he may become king. He tricks Simba and his best friend Nala — to whom Simba is betrothed — into exploring a forbidden elephants' graveyard, where they are attacked by three spotted hyenas who are in league with Scar. As Timon and Pumbaa were forced away from their dream home from Simba singing "I Just Can't Wait to Be King", they 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, his nephew, and his niece-in-law, luring Simba and Nala into a gorge and having the hyenas drive a large herd of wildebeest into a stampede that will trample them. He informs Mufasa of Simba and Nala's peril, knowing the king will rush to save the cubs. Mufasa saves Simba and Nala but ends up hanging perilously from the gorge's edge. Scar refuses to help Mufasa, instead sending him falling to his death. As Timon and Pumbaa were also caught in the stampede, they were thrown off a waterfall. Scar then convinces Simba that the tragedy was Simba's own fault and advises him and Nala to flee the kingdom. He orders the hyenas to kill the cubs, but Simba and Nala escape. Scar tells the pride that Mufasa, Simba and Nala 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 the pair exhausted, Timon decides to give up, until Pumbaa discovers a luxurious green jungle. The pair finally settle there with the philosophy of "Hakuna Matata". The pair catch some bugs and put them in a bag. After doing so, however, after Timon hears Pumbaa's breaking-wind, Pumbaa, breaking into song, tells Timon how he feels when other animals tell him to go away, and that he's a loner. Timon tells Pumbaa that he is banished from his colony and stranded, and thinks that in a cold and mean world, the two of them should be Alone Together, that two heads are better than one. Pumbaa hears what Timon is saying correctly, and that they should become the "bestest of friends." After singing, Pumbaa decides to be Timon's friend over anything he could ever want. Timon feels the same way. A short while later, the silence of the jungle is broken after Timon hears Tatiana's cry for help while about to become a sacrifice for the cobra. Pumbaa feels that once Timon saves her, the warthog would be alone again, but Timon disagrees, saying that once he rescues Tatiana, Pumbaa would join the colony, and that he would no longer be an outcast. Pumbaa is overjoyed by this, and the two of them rescue Tatiana, then welcome her into their paradise. Timon and Pumbaa then encounter Simba and Nala in a nearby desert, who collapsed nearly dead from the escape of Pride Rock. The pair rescue the cubs and decide to raise them under their philosophy.

The warthog, the meerkat and the lion cubs run into a buff meerkat and warthog named Pimon and Tumbaa, who have a philosophy of their own: Kahuna Potato. The duo then steal Simba and Nala, and give Timon and Pumbaa both atomic wedgies. Timon and Pumbaa suggest to get advice from Rafiki to kung-fu. Rafiki cuts Timon and Pumbaa's hair, puts fighting belts on them, and nicknames them "Timon-Yang" and "Pumbaa-Yin". The baboon shows the two how to fight by using bananas, making them squeeze the fruits and stirring them. After the work, Rafiki tells Timon that he's not ready, Timon tells him that he and him are ready. Timon snatches the bugs from Rafiki's hand and he and Pumbaa are ready to fight Pimon and Tumbaa to retrieve Simba. While Pimon and Tumbaa have Simba trapped in a wodden trap and are picking on a squirrel, Timon and Pumbaa confront the bullies and fight them. After the bullies trick Timon and Pumbaa into thinking that they're seriously hurt and give Timon and Pumbaa another wedgie, Rafiki appears and tells the two friends to use Hakuna Matata to fight. Listening to Rafiki's advice, Timon and Pumbaa use their own weapons to fight the bullies. Later that night, Timon and Pumbaa decide to have Pimon and Tumbaa, with their heads shaved off, feeding them bugs founded by Simba. Nala, who escaped from the bullies, gets chased by vulture police officers and goes into exile. Years later, as a young lioness, she discovers Pride Rock and gets Rafiki to find where Simba is.

Simba as a young adult 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 and Rafiki explain 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. Nala, Sarabi, Zazu, and the lionesses fend off the hyenas while Timon and Pumbaa do Hakuna Matata kung-fu, 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 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. Later, after seeing that Tatiana is saved by Timon, the colony opens the front gate in joyous celebration. At the trial, all charges against Timon are dropped for the brave, cunning, and resourceful rescue of Tatiana, and as an added bonus, the Duke offers Timon the key to the city and Tatiana offers her hand to him in marriage. After Pumbaa reminds him, Timon asks the Duke to declare Pumbaa an official member of the colony — but the Duke says that only meerkats are allowed to live in the colony, and gives Timon a choice between anything he could ever want (power, riches and love) or being Pumbaa's friend. Timon finally decides to have Tatiana for marriage and Pumbaa for being his friend as he also decides to give up all the fancy stuff for Pumbaa. Timon then had an announcement that the colony don't have to dig tunnels or worry about predators anymore.

A couple of days later, Timon takes Ma, Max, Tatianta, the Duke and the entire colony to live in the predator-free jungle to complete his "Hakuna Matata"; and he is praised as their hero.

King Simba and Queen Nala's newborn daughter, Kiara, was presented to the assembled animals by Rafiki as Mufasa proudly watches over the ceremony from the heavens above. At the ceremony, the Night Pride's leader Rani challenges Simba for the crown in ritual combat. Simba defeats Rani and persuades her to yield rather than die.

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, Kovu's mother and the Outsiders' leader. 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. In the Outlands, Zira reminds Kovu that Simba killed Scar and exiled the lionesses who respected him. Kovu explains that he does not think it is so bad to have Kiara as a friend, but Zira realizes she can use Kovu's friendship with Kiara to seek revenge on Simba.

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 his great uncle 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 Kion's sister Kiara from a herd of stampeding gazelle and defeat Janja's hyena clan and Mzingo the vulture, 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. 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 Flat Ridge Rock.

As the dry season begins, Ma Tembo works to find a new water source, and Rafiki takes in a young mandrill named Makini as an 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 and his 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, Janja's clan steals Makini's bakora staff and kidnap Kiara to lure Kion and the Guard to the Outlands, with the intent on tricking Kion to Roar 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.

During the Kumbuka celebration honoring the day that Simba defeated Scar, a scorpion named Sumu sent by Scar stings Simba, causing him to become very ill. Rafiki sends Makini and the Lion 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, and the skinks attack them. After battling Scar's collective of Outlanders, Makini and the guard make it back to Pride Rock with the ash. While Simba is recuperating, Kion informs Rafiki that Scar has returned.

Several years later, Kiara, now a young adult, begins her first solo hunt. Simba has Timon and Pumbaa follow her in secret, causing her to hunt away from the Pride Lands. As part of Zira's plan, Kovu's siblings Nuka and Vitani trap Kiara in a fire, allowing Kovu to rescue her. Unable to thank the young rogue, Simba is forced to accept Kovu's place since he rescued Kiara. Later that night, Simba has a nightmare about attempting to save Mufasa from falling into the wildebeest stampede but is stopped by Scar who then morphs into Kovu and sends Simba to his death.

The next morning, Kovu contemplates attacking Simba as he was instructed to, but he teaches Kiara how to hunt instead and eventually realizes his feelings for her. Later, Kiara and Kovu stargaze where they talk about the Great Kings of the Past and Kovu wonders if there is a darkness in him like there was in Scar. Simba watches the two from afar and Nala convinces him to give Kovu a chance. Kovu attempts to reveal his mission to Kiara, but Rafiki interrupts and leads them to the jungle, where he introduces them to "upendi" (an erroneous form of upendo, which means "love" in Swahili). The two lions fall in love. That night, Simba allows Kovu to sleep inside Pride Rock with the rest of the pride, but Vitani tells Zira about Kovu's failure to kill Simba. Zira sets a trap for her son and Simba.

The next day, Kovu attempts to reveal his mission to Kiara, but Simba takes him around the Pride Lands and tells him the real story of how Scar died. The Outsiders attack Simba and Kovu attempts to intervene, but Vitani injures him. Nuka attempts to kill Simba, but Simba gets thrown off a cliff into a waterfall and Nuka is killed. Zira scratches Kovu for his brother's death, causing him to turn on her. After seeing Kovu, who has returned and suggested on what to do, Nala, Zazu, Sarabi and Kiara flee to the Night Pride for aid. They find a comatose Simba, rescued by Rani in repayment for sparing her life. Healed by Nala's herb, Simba returns, but forgot that Kovu was Scar's chosen one. When they return to Pride Rock, Kovu pleads Simba for his forgiveness but is exiled. Kiara makes Simba realize that he is acting irrationally and then flees to find Kovu. The two lions later find each other and profess their love. Zira and the Outsiders then head to Pride Rock which causes a war to happen with them against the Pridelanders as Zazu uses technology weapons to take out the Outsiders. Realizing that they must reunite the two prides, Kiara and Kovu return to the Pride Lands and convince them to stop fighting each other. Rani and the Night Pride arrive to reinforce Simba. Just then, Kiara and Kovu appear to convince their parents to stop fighting. When Kiara appericates to accept Zira's pride to join, Zira attempts to kill Simba; Kiara intervenes and Zira falls to escape. With his enemy gone, Simba accepts the Outsiders back into the Pride Lands, and appoints Kovu and Kiara as his successors.

In a post-credits scene, Kiara helps Buddy Pine with his RLS Legacy recuperation.

Cast
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. Mufasa's mischievous younger brother and Simba's uncle, who overtakes the throne. Daniel Radcliffe voiced Scar as a teenager cub. Scar's widow and the leader of exiled lion groups named "Outsiders". She is also the mother of Kovu, Nuka and Vitani. A young lioness and the leader of the Night Pride. Simba's best friend later wife as the queen of Pride Rock and the lead of Lora Kilaje, a group of lionesses, who serve as Simba's bodyguards. Sally Dworsky provided the singing voice of Nala. Niketa Calame voiced Nala as a cub while Laura Williams provided the cub's singing voice. A hornbill, who is the the majordomo ("Mufasa's little stooge" as Shenzi calls him) of the Lion King and a jungle administrator, working with his mole assistant, Gopher. Jeff Bennett provided the character's singing voice. 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. A wise-cracking and self-absorbed yet somewhat loyal meerkat, who becomes one of Simba's best friends and adoptive parents. 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. Timon's paranoid, eccentric but deep down kind-hearted uncle. Simba and Nala's daughter and the princess of Pride Rock, who also designs new technology for the country of Africa. Liz Callaway provided Kiara's singing voice. Michelle Horn voiced Kiara as a cub, while Charity Sanoy provided the cub's singing voice. Ashley Edner provided her lion growls. The younger son of Zira, who was hand-chosen by Scar to take revenge on Simba. Gene Miller provided his singing voice. Ryan O'Donohue voiced Kovu as a cub. The older son of Zira, who is the older brother of Kovu and Vitani, and the prince of the Outlanders. A hippopotamus, who becomes the strongest member of the Lion Guard. A cattle egret, who becomes the keenest of sight of the Lion Guard. Simba's mother, Mufasa's wife, Kiara's grandmother and the previous queen of Pride Rock. A wise old mandrill and the shaman of Pride Rock ("Silly blue-bottomed baboon" as Zazu calls him), who presents the new king to the animals. Simba and Nala's second-born son and Kiara's younger brother, who becomes the leader of the Lion Guard and the prince of Pride Rock.
 * Matthew Broderick as Simba:
 * Jeremy Irons as Taka / Scar:
 * Suzanne Pleshette as Zira:
 * Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Rani:
 * Moira Kelly as Nala:
 * Rowan Atkinson as Zazu:
 * Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa:
 * Nathan Lane as Timon:
 * Julie Kavner as Ma:
 * Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max:
 * Neve Campbell as Kiara:
 * Jason Marsden as Kovu:
 * Andy Dick as Nuka:
 * Lacey Chabert as Vitani: Zira's daughter and Kovu and Nuka's brother, who is the princess of the Outsiders. Crysta Macalush provided the cub's singing voice.
 * Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings and Whoopi Goldberg as Banzai, Ed and Shenzi: A group of spotted hyenas, who first serve as predators in Timon's colony before severing as the henchmen for Scar.
 * Landry Bender as Makini: A young female mandrill, who becomes Rafiki's apprentice.
 * Maia Mitchell as Jasiri: A former Outlander hyena and befriends as a reluctant member with the Lion Guard.
 * Joshua Rush as Bunga: A honey badger, Kion's best friend and Timon and Pumbaa's adoptive nephew, who becomes the bravest member of the Lion Guard.
 * Diamond White as Fuli: A cheetah, who becomes the fastest member of the Lion Guard.
 * Dusan Brown as Beshte:
 * Atticus Shaffer as Ono:
 * Madge Sinclair as Sarabi:
 * Robert Guillaume and as Rafiki:
 * Max Charles as Kion:

Additionally, Christian Myers portrayed director Roger Allers (and as the narrator) during the live-action scenes.

Russi Taylor voiced a magical fairy, who tells Timon to be respectful and nice to Simba and Nala as cubs. James Earl Jones and Zoe Leader voiced Simba's father Mufasa and Nala's mother Sarafina while Tress MacNeille voiced Tatiana, the princess of the meerkats with Jeff Bennett voicing her father, who is the Duke of the colony. Jason Rudofsky voiced Flinchy, a Sentry duty member in Timon's colony. S. Scott Bullock voiced Timon's rival Fred. Carl Lumbly voiced Scar and Mufasa's father Ahadi. Ford Riley voiced Sumu, a black scorpion in the Outlands, who later works for Scar. Kevin Michael Richardson and Billy West voiced Tumbaa and Pimon, a buff meerkat and warthog, who are rivals of Timon and Pumbaa. Andrew Kishino voiced Janja, the leader of his own clan of hyenas; Dee Bradley Baker, Kevin Schon and Vargus Mason provided voices for members Tano, Chungu and Cheezi. Sarah Hyland and Madison Pettis voiced Kiara's friends Tiifu and Zuri. Townsend Coleman and Brian Cummings voiced vulture police officers, who chase after Nala.

Additional voices were provided by MacNeille, Bennett, Schon, Cummings, Richardson, Baker, Rob Paulsen, Bill Farmer, Frank Welker, Tara Strong, Kari Wahlgren, Rob Lowe, Corey Burton, Khary Payton, Gary Anthony Williams, Gabrielle Union and David Oyelowo. Quinton Flynn and Ernie Sabella voiced Monti and Baampu, the opposite sides of Timon and Pumbaa in a deleted scene and Jason Lee has an uncredited cameo reprising his role as Buddy Pine from The Incredibles in a post-credits scene.

Release
The film is expected to be release sometime in 2018. 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.

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 and Lebo performed some of the songs as additional performers include Raven-Symoné, Gil Scott-Heron, Lionel Richie, Carmen Twillie, Vinx, Drew K., The French, 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.

Track Listing

 * 1) Grazing in the Grass – Raven-Symoné
 * 2) The Revolution Will Be Televised – Gil Scott-Heron
 * 3) Still – Lionel Richie
 * 4) Circle of Life – Lebo M. and Carmen Twillie
 * 5) Diggah Tunnah Dance – Lebo M. and Vinx
 * 6) That's All I Need – Nathan Lane
 * 7) I Just Can't Wait To Be King – Rowan Atkinson, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver, Laura Williams and Nathan Lane
 * 8) The Morning Report – Jeff Bennett, James Earl Jones and Evan Saucedo
 * 9) Be Prepared – Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jim Cummings
 * 10) Hakuna Matata – Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Jason Weaver and Joeseph Williams
 * 11) The Lion Sleeps Tonight – Lebo M.
 * 12) Jungle Boogie – Drew K. and The French
 * 13) The Madness of King Scar – Jeremy Irons, Jeff Bennett, Jim Cummings, Whoopi Goldberg, Sally Dworsky and Cheech Marin
 * 14) Shadowland – Sally Dworsky
 * 15) Alone Together – Ernie Sabella and Nathan Lane
 * 16) A Million Dreams – Liz Callaway and Gene Miller
 * 17) Can You Feel the Love Tonight – Nathan Lane, Kristine Edwards, Joseph Williams, Sally Dworsky and Ernie Sabella
 * 18) Endless Night – Joseph Williams
 * 19) Busa – Lebo M.
 * 20) He Lives in You – Lebo M.
 * 21) My Lullaby – Suzanne Pleshette, Andy Dick and Crysta Macalush
 * 22) Upendi – Robert Guillaume
 * 23) We Are One – Cam Clarke and Charity Sanoy
 * 24) Love Will Find A Way – Gene Miller and Liz Callaway

Critical response
The Lion King: The Special Edition Cut was released to critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 96%, 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. IMDb holds a score of 7.6/10.