Donald Glover to star in 'Lion King' remake

'Atlanta' star Donald Glover is set to star in Disney's live-action remake of 'The Lion King'.

2016 Critics Choice Awards - Portraits

Glover with his 2016 Critics Choice Awards of Best Actor in a Comedy Series. Source: Getty Images

The 33 year-old American actor, director, comedian writer and singer is set to play Simba in the new version of the 1994 animated classic, and will be joined by James Earl Jones who will reprise his role as Mufasa.

The film is set to be directed by Jon Favreau, who broke the news on Twitter with a picture of Glover and a caption reading "I just can't wait to be king. #Simba" - the name of a song performed in the film.
The casting was later confirmed by Disney in a press release, with the role adding to an already busy schedule, with Glover starring in and executive producing television series Atlanta, in addition to being cast as the young Lando Calrissian in the upcoming untitled Han Solo film.

The Lion King was a huge success for Walt Disney Pictures, finishing its theatrical run as the highest-grossing film of 1994 and the second highest-grossing film of all time.

In 2016 it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."

'Atlanta' starts on SBS VICELAND on 28 February at 9:20pm with double episodes, but you can also stream the show in full on SBS On Demand from that same night.



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By Sam Carroll

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