‘Lion King’ Cast Adds Amy Sedaris As New Character, Proving It’s Not A Shot-For-Shot Remake
The cast for Disney’s remake ofThe Lion Kingis already very impressive, but we’re apparently not done learning about additional members of the ensemble. The latest:Amy Sedaris, who has some experience voicing animals throughBoJack Horseman, will play a new part inJon Favreaulive action-esque remake of they Disney classic. Sedaris' character is described as “an animal brand new to the kingdom.”
Varietybroke the news about Sedaris joining theLion Kingcast. Sedaris will voice “an elephant shrew — so named for long noses that resemble elephant trunks, the tiny mammal is native to Africa and known for its top speed.” As any fan of the originalLion Kingknows, this character is brand-new, which might give us a better idea of Jon Favreau’s approach to this material.
WhenThe Lion Kingtrailerbroke over Thanksgiving, the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. But I did see a few people complaining that it felt a bit pointless for Favreau to remake the original film shot-for-shot, as the trailer suggested. Now that we know there’s a new character, it’s clear that Favreau won’t be sticking so rigidly to the original film after all. Now I can’t help but wonder what else he’ll be changing.
Sedaris has been doing great voice acting recently onBoJack Horseman. She also has a bonafide comedy background, from work onStrangers With Candy,Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,Broad City, and many more. In short, she’s a great addition to an already great cast. Here’s a look at the line-up Sedaris is joining:
Favreau, who also helmed Disney’sJungle Bookremake, is directing a script fromJeff Nathanson. Hans Zimmer, who scored the original film, will score the remake as well. Elton John, Tim Rice and Beyoncé are creating a new end credits song for the film, while John is reworking the songs from the original film. Like the 1994 animated movie,The Lion King"journeys to the African savanna where a future king must overcome betrayal and tragedy to assume his rightful place on Pride Rock."
I remain curious about this entire project. It can’t rightly be called alive-actionremake, because Favreau is still using animated characters. In the end, though, nostalgia and wow-factory are likely enough to turnThe Lion Kinginto a huge hit when it hits theaters onJuly 19, 2019.
