Beyonce already has a stellar list of achievements, but it looks like she’s going to add one more: she might be providing the voice of Nala in the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Lion King.
Variety revealed that the superstar is the first in line to voice the lion queen in the movie. However, she has reportedly not made a decision because she is currently expecting twins.
The publication adds that director Jon Favreau and the producers are willing to provide whatever is necessary for the pregnant Beyonce to have a comfortable time recording.
This won’t be Beyonce’s first time to provide vocals for a film. Previously, she lent her voice to Queen Tara in the animated film Epic in 2013.
If she signs on, she will be joining Donald Glover (who goes under the stage name Childish Gambino) and James Earl Jones, who will play Simba and Mufasa respectively. Jones played the role of Mufasa in the original Disney film in 1994.
The Lion King is inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and follows a kingdom of lions in Africa. It tells the story of Simba, a lion cub who is supposed to succeed his father Mufasa as king. When his uncle Scar kills Mufasa, the cub thinks he is responsible and flees. Scar becomes king until Simba grows up and challenges Scar to end his rule and take his rightful place.
The film was released in 1994 to critical acclaim. It was the the highest-grossing release of the year and the second highest-grossing film of all time. It went on to win two Academy Awards for Best Original Score by Hans Zimmer and Best Original Song with “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John and Tim Rice. It also won two Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Original Score.
Three years later, a Broadway musical premiered, winning six Tony awards. It has given more than 6,700 performances, becoming Broadway’s third longest-running show in history and the highest grossing Broadway production of all time, having grossed more than $1 billion.
The Lion King is the latest live-action reboot, following the success of Maleficent, Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and The Jungle Book, which Favreau also directed.
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