Beyonce is said to be director Jon Favreau’s “top choice”.
[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]he live-action reimagining of the 1994 animated Disney classic The Lion King is reportedly looking to Beyoncé to be the voice of Nala.
According to Variety, sources say Beyonce is director Jon Favreau’s top choice for the role. The singer is currently pregnant with twins, but since it’s voice work, Favreau has reportedly said they’d work around her schedule to get her on board.
Nala is the strong-willed and kind-hearted childhood best friend of Simba, who she eventually marries to become Queen (and let’s face it, there’s no one more fit to play a Queen than Beyoncé).
In the original animated film, a grown-up Nala was voiced by American actress Moira Kelly, with singing from Sally Dworksy, while a young Nala was brought to life with voicing from Niketa Calame and singing from Laura Williams.
Simba’s set to voiced by Community’s Donald Glover, and so far the only other role that has been cast will see the legendary James Earl Jones reprise his role as Mufasa.
Disney has been working on a whole line-up of live-action adaptation recently, with the most recent release being Beauty and the Beast. With other titles such as Mulan in the works, The Lion King is apparently being fast-tracked, so more news on the casting is sure to emerge soon.
If they include all the classic songs, Beyoncé is sure to kill it when it comes to Nala’s singing moments, and with voice acting under her belt already in 2013’s Epic, we can’t fault the choice.
A release date for the live-action Lion King has not yet been announced.
