'Lion King' TV sequel release date, cast news: Max Charles to voice Simba's son, star-studded cast to feature
The 1994 classic Disney movie "The Lion King" is getting a made-for-TV sequel titled "The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar" which premieres this November.
Comic Book Movie reports that child actor Max Charles (The Strain, American Sniper) is being tapped to lend his voice to Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala. Robert Lowe (Parks and Recreation) will play the role of Mufasa's son while Gabrielle Union (Bad Boys II, Being Mary Jane) is his wife.
James Earl Jones and Ernie Sabella will reprise their roles as Mufasa and Pumbaa, respectively. Though already dead, Simba's father will try to help his family line from the beyond. Newcomer Khary Payton (Batman: Arkham Knight) will be Rafiki while Kevin Schon (Timon and Pumbaa) will lend his voice to Timon.
Other main cast members include Joshua Rush (Chuck) who plays Bunga, Diamond White (Transformers: Rescue Bots) as Fuli, Atticus Shaffer (Hancock) as Ono and Dusan Brown (42) as Beshte. Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) and Eden Riegel (Year One) complete the roster of stars, but their roles are yet to be disclosed. The website posits that one of them may voice Kiara, Simba and Nala's eldest daughter.
Disney Insider has recently released a clip of "Return of the Roar." In the footage, Kion could be seen leading a group of animals, which call themselves "The Lion Guard." While only the best of the best in Pride Lands normally comprises the group, Kion broke traditions and recruited his friends. As a result, the mighty guards consist of "blustery honey badger" Bunga, "smarty-pants" egret Ono, "confident" cheetah Fuli, and "friendly" hippo Beshte.
"The Lion King" is the highest grossing film of 1994, earning a worldwide total gross of $987,483,777. According to Wikipedia, it is the 23rd highest-grossing film of all-time, third highest in the animation world, and second highest in the Walt Disney Animation Studios' roster of blockbusters. The film's 3D version released in 2011 had $987 million total gross earnings.
"The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar" is expected to air this fall on the Disney Channel.
