Live action is the new black at Disney after the billion dollar triumph of Maleficent. Cinderella, Pete’s Dragon and The Jungle Book have since hit the screens (one was okay, one was bad and one was great) and the much-hyped Emma Watson starrer Beauty and the Beast is almost upon us.
After that the studio has The Lion King, Mulan, Dumbo, Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, Fantasia, an Aladdin prequel or sequel Genie, Winnie The Pooh, Prince Charming, Tinker Bell and even a Chip N’ Dale redo in the works. Jon Favreau moved from sister company Marvel to Disney for the Jungle Book (the one that was great) and now finds himself director of the Lion King.
He is about the only person in the world that could tackle this impossible task. How could anybody improve upon the original? What is the benefit? ($$)
Still, Jon Favreau has ridiculous street cred. He directed the original Iron Man and it’s we’ll-write-the-script-the-same-day-we-shoot sequel, executive produced both Avengers flicks and wrote, directed and starred in the intimate comedy Chef. Using Disney’s impressive wallet he wrangled Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson and more into the Jungle Book and made it one of the best movies of 2016. Which is a bit surprising really.
Now he’s on the hunt for an equally impressive cast for the Lion King. Can it be done?
First cab off the rank is Donald Glover as Simba. He posted this picture to Twitter earlier today with some lyrics from the unforgettable soundtrack.
Donald Glover has an embarrassment of riches of his own. Before his alter ego Childish Gambino began a phenomenal rap career he was Troy on Community, endearing him to nerds forevermore. This landed him a role in Spider-Man: Homecoming and the mega-role of Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars Han Solo spinoff. Meanwhile his FX show Atlanta scooped two Golden Globes, an AFI and a Critics Choice Awards.
Yep, he is undoubtedly the best Donald in America right now.
And now he’s Simba. Can all this experience bring anything new to one of the most beloved Disney animations of all time?
