And now it’s official.
After six months of rumors that Beyoncé would be cast as Nala in Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King, the entertainment company announced Wednesday that Queen Bey and a full list of luminaries are in.
Joining Beyoncé in the Jon Favreau-directed project are Donald Glover as Simba; James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Simba’s father; Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Simba’s villainous uncle; and Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, Simba’s mother.
“It is a director’s dream to assemble a talented team like this to bring this classic story to life,” Favreau said in a statement.
#TheLionKing. 2019. 🦁👑 pic.twitter.com/UMJo18FwDt
— Disney (@Disney) November 1, 2017
Disney’s announcement is being greeted with enthusiastic approval on social media.
Disney: “Hmmmm… Who to cast as the future queen of Pride Roc-“
— Michael Scally 🏳️🌈 🐀 (SAME USERNAME ELSEWHERE) (@FizzVsTheWorld) November 1, 2017
Beyonce: “Yes, my subjects?”#TheLionKing pic.twitter.com/5rghVZdeXU
https://twitter.com/MelHawk92/status/925876040819503107
https://twitter.com/delane/status/925875907813826560
The release date for the new Lion King is July 19, 2019.