The Lion King has some big comedy names lined up to play Timon and Pumba
Hakuna Matata: Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen are in talks to join the cast as the unlikeliest duo in the animal kingdom
Jon Favreau’s live-action (ish) Lion King reboot is beginning to take shape.
The latest development sees Billy Eichner (Parks and Recreation, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) in talks to play loudmouth meerkat Timon with Seth Rogen being lined up to play Pumbaa, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
They will join Donald Glover, who has been announced as Simba, and the venerable James Earl Jones, reprising his role as Mufasa from the 1994 original.
The film’s announcement was initially met with skepticism, and Favreau – who's already directed Disney's remake of The Jungle Book – has said recently that he is feeling the weight of expectation from 90s kids who grew up adoring the original.
“There's an added pressure to these beloved stories, especially these deep-seated ones, because there's an emotional connection”, Favreau said.
The release date has just been set for 19 July 2019, so we’ll have to wait a while to find out whether or not it lives up to the hype.
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