Comedy stars set to play Timon and Pumbaa in new 'Lion King' movie

Hakuna Matata: Live-action Disney film finds voices for beloved meerkat, warthog

Courtesy: AP

The internet went crazy in September when Disney announced a live-action remake of the popular animated movie "The Lion King."

Fans are speculating on who Disney will choose to cast in the remake of the 1994 box office hit, which featured beloved characters as Simba, Mufasa, Zazu and Scar.

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The biggest question: Who will play the duo of Timon and Pumbaa?

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According to The Wrap, actors Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner have secured their spots as Simba’s sidekicks.

Actor Donald Glover is set to star as the new voice of Simba and James Earl Jones will return to his original role, as the voice of Mufasa, Simba's father. 

It will be surprising to hear the vocal cords of Rogen and Eichner, who will be responsible for singing one of the most memorable songs in Disney animated movie history, “Hakuna Matata,” which means “no worries.”

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Jon Favreau will direct the Disney flick after he successfully directed the live-action remake of "The Jungle Book," which earned nearly $966 million worldwide.

Disney sent a news release in September on the new film which read in part: 

“We can officially confirm that The Walt Disney Studios and director Jon Favreau are putting a new reimagining of The Lion King on the fast track to production. The project follows the technologically groundbreaking smash hit The Jungle Book, directed by Favreau, which debuted in April and has earned $965.8 million worldwide.

The Lion King builds on Disney’s success of reimagining its classics for a contemporary audience with films like Maleficent, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book. The upcoming Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle, is already one of the most anticipated movies of 2017. 

Like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King will include songs from the animated film. Disney and Favreau are also in development on a sequel to The Jungle Book. No release date has been announced for either film.

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