Disney’s live-action remake of “The Lion King” has found its Rafiki in “Captain America: Civil War” actor John Kani.
TheWrap has learned exclusively that Kani, who played Black Panther’s father, King T’Chaka, in “Civil War,” will voice the baboon who serves as the royal adviser to Mufasa and his family in the Pride Lands.
The original “Lion King” is one of the biggest animated films of all time: It grossed $968.8 million globally and won an Academy Award for the original song, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” as well as its original score by Hans Zimmer.
It finished its theatrical release as the highest-grossing release of 1994 and second highest-grossing of all time. It has also spawned a Broadway adaptation and two direct-to-video follow-ups.
Earlier this month at Disney’s D23 presentation, Jon Favreau, who is directing the new film, surprised fans with a first glimpse at how the famous “Circle of Life” opening from the original “Lion King” would look in his new version. The brief clip featured photo-realistic CGI animals similar to those in Favreau’s remake of “The Jungle Book,” which earned an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. The clip ended with the iconic image of Rafiki presenting the newborn Simba to the animals of the Pridelands.
15 Live-Action Disney Movies in the Works After 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' (Photos)
Disney will be pumping out live-action versions of its animated classics for a long time to come. Here's a list of titles in the works, including the release date of the original.
"Mulan" This is a particularly anticipated title, which is slated to be released on March 27, 2020. Niki Caro is directing, while Liu Yifei is starring as the title character. Donnie Yen and Jason Scott Lee also star.
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"Jungle Cruise"
Okay, okay, "Jungle Cruise" might not count as live-action film based on a previously animated classic, but it is based on a ride at Disneyland, so we're going to include it. Plus, we'll take any chance to talk about Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in the same sentence. It will hit theaters July 24, 2020.
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"Cruella" Extracted from the famous villainess of 1961’s “One Hundred and One Dalmatians,” this origin story of a woman who declares open season on purebred puppies -- Cruella de Vil -- is set to star Emma Stone. The reigning live-action Cruella is Glenn Close, who herself starred in two live-action adaptations. It's due in theaters Dec. 23, 2020
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"The Little Mermaid" So now we're getting into films that are in some stage of development but haven't necessarily been slated for release. After all, Disney has so many untitled films slated, it's hard to count. But a live-action version of "The Little Mermaid" has been long discussed, as it is arguably one of the most popular and profitable movies in Disney's vault. Rob Marshall is on board direct, with Halle Bailey set to star as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.
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"Pinocchio"
"Pinocchio" is also in the works, with Tom Hanks playing Geppetto.
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"James and the Giant Peach" In one of the more interesting adaptations, this beloved Roald Dahl book became a quirky claymation hit for Disney in 1996 with director Henry Selick. Heavy dramatist director Sam Mendes was attached to take a stab at it, but he has since dropped out.
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"Rose Red" This one is trippy (no pun over producer Tripp Vinson), but promising creatively. In the German fairy tale, Rose Red is Snow White's sister. Disney and Vinson are collaborating on introducing the world to the sibling of the famous apple-loving princess. Disney released the original "Snow White" in 1937.
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"Tinker Bell"
This movie has also been in the works for quite some time, with Reese Witherspoon attached as the cute little fairy from "Peter Pan."
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"Snow White" Forget her sister -- the original baddest chick in the Disney animated kingdom is coming back for her own standalone film. It was announced at the end of October 2016.
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"Peter Pan" Neverland will get a practical set if Disney has its way updating the 1953 animated film.
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"The Jungle Book 2" This is a no-brainer follow-up to Favreau's hit from spring 2016, based on the animated classic released in 1967.
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"Oliver Twist" While Disney never formally made a direct animated take on Charles Dickens' beloved orphan, they did release the adorable 1988 "Oliver and Company," inspired by Dickens' tale but told with animals. The studio also made a small-screen live-action version in 1997 with Richard Dreyfuss.
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"Lilo & Stitch"
And another film that is supposed to get the live-action treatment and some point. This project was announced in October 2018 with Mike Van Waes attached to pen the script. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback are producing.
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"Hunchback"
In early 2019, a live-action film based on 1996's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was announced. Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang was tapped to pen the script, with Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz handling the music.
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"Bambi"
In January 2020, Disney hired Geneva Robertson-Dworet (“Captain Marvel") and Lindsey Beer (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,”) to write the script for the live-action remake of the 1942 animated classic.
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The studio is raiding its vault to remake classics including “Mulan”
Disney will be pumping out live-action versions of its animated classics for a long time to come. Here's a list of titles in the works, including the release date of the original.
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