Beyoncé didn't seem busy enough, what with all that music stuff and parenting newborn twins going on, plus her covert efforts to raise relief funds for victims of recent natural disasters. So she decided to add to her plate and put her talents to use once more. Disney announced on Wednesday that the superstar would officially be joining the cast of the live-action remake of "The Lion King." Her addition lends even more star power to the movie, while simultaneously rounding out a cast that could make something out of the live-action format.
Beyoncé joins the circle
Most of the cast for "The Lion King" was announced back in February, so Beyoncé is a bit of a late addition to the proceedings. Nevertheless, every king needs a queen, so Queen Bey will feel right at home playing Nala, the love interest for the king-to-be, Simba (played by Donald Glover).
While much of the focus is rightfully on her singing career, Beyoncé has some experience in the acting realm. She took a hilarious turn in "Austin Powers in Goldmember" back in 2002 and starred in "Dreamgirls" in 2006. Other films include "The Pink Panther," "Cadillac Records," and "Obsessed." "The Lion King" will be her first movie role since 2013, when she lent her voice to a queen in the animated film "Epic."
'The Lion King' has its cast
The live-action remake of "The Lion King" has a stacked group of stars outside of its two lead actors.
James Earl Jones will play Mufasa, while Chiwetel Ejiofor will get mischievous as Scar. John Oliver is perfectly cast as Zazu. Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner will likely maim each other in real life as they play Pumbaa and Timon, respectively. Other notable cast members include Eric Andre and Keegan-Michael Key.
Filming began over the summer on a blue screen stage, so Beyoncé has likely already filmed much of her scenes, despite the casting news just coming to light.
Coming on the heels of the box office success of movies like "The Jungle Book" and "Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King" promises to be the most ambitious live-action Disney adaptation yet. Jon Favreau is directing and co-producing and the movie has a slated release date of July 19, 2019.
That same year, Disney is planning to release a live-action remake of "Aladdin" to go along with "The Lion King." Will Smith is set to play the Genie, but there's no reason Beyoncé couldn't step in and pull Disney double duty two years down the road.
