Before Walt Disney Studios’ live-action movie showcase at the D23 Expo on Saturday morning, rumors were swirling online that Hugh Jackman had been signed on to play Scar in Jon Favreau‘s upcoming remake of “The Lion King.” This afternoon, a representative for Jackman told TheWrap that there was “absolutely no truth” to the buzz.
Earlier in the day, movie site Omega Underground first reported Jackman’s casting, citing an individual with knowledge of the film’s production. Jackman had also posted a picture of himself at Disneyland on Friday afternoon, leading some to believe that he would be present to make the casting official.
Jackman did not appear at the D23 showcase, nor was any casting for the remake announced (though casting was announced for another remake, Guy Ritchie’s “Aladdin”).
Favreau 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, now in full computer generated imagery.
Casting that has been confirmed for “The Lion King” includes James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa, with Donald Glover as Simba, and, as TheWrap first reported, John Oliver as Zazu.
10 Disney Cartoons That Deserve a Reboot Just Like 'DuckTales'
We can bet that you almost forgot about a few of these Disney cartoons from the 1990s and early 2000s. If "DuckTales" can get a reboot, then so should these childhood gems.
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"Recess"
This show just understood playground politics. Also, the "Ashleys" could have been inspiration for Regina George and her mean girls.
Disney
"Talespin"
The characters of "The Jungle Book" are reimagined into a fictional post-WWI colonial town. The show could use an updated history lesson.
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"Pepper Ann"
The show is smothered in girl power. Pepper Ann's single mom was a feminist and there was always a good message to each episode. Young girls today deserve the same encouragement.
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"Timon and Pumbaa"
Because "The Lion King" is one of the best original Disney movies (if not the best), why not continue with the hilarious spin-off series about BFFs Timon and Pumbaa?
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"Bonkers"
Who doesn't love a washed-up show business cat that went into policing? This show only had one season and deserves to be resurfaced for its cartoony physical comedy.
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"Buzz Lightyear of Star Command"
The "Toy Story" franchise will soon be up to four movies. The spin-off series about Buzz in outer space only had one season. It's only fair to bring it back.
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"Lloyd In Space"
Lloyd is a totally normal teenager, experiencing the normal teenager things. Except he's an alien that lives in the future.
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"Kim Possible"
The titular character fights crime by night and attends high school by day. Kim Possible is a total badass and role model. Let's bring her back on screen.
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"The Proud Family"
Solange sang the theme song for the first animated Disney Channel Original Series. Maybe a reboot would include a sister-collab between Solange and Beyonce? We could only hope.
Disney
"Mighty Ducks"
Not to be confused with the live-action movie, the cartoon was about ducks that played hockey and also happened to fight crime. Oh, did we mention they're from outer space?
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Let’s bring back girl power shows like ”Pepper Ann“ and ”Kim Possible“
We can bet that you almost forgot about a few of these Disney cartoons from the 1990s and early 2000s. If "DuckTales" can get a reboot, then so should these childhood gems.