Saturday, April 1, 2017

Beyonce tipped to voice Nala in Lion King remake

Disney bosses are reportedly eyeing Beyonce to voice Nala in the live-action Lion King remake.

The Grammy Award-winning singer is the frontrunner to voice the lion character in Jon Favreau's upcoming reboot of the 1994 animated classic, Variety reports.

Insiders have told the publication that Beyonce has not yet committed to the role, as she is pregnant with twins, and is believed to be due in the summer (17).

But as the role is comprised of voice-overs, sources claim that Favreau is willing to accommodate the superstar's schedule and family routine, as she is also mother to daughter Blue, five, whom she shares with husband Jay Z.

Should Beyonce, 35, take on the role, it will mark for her first film role since she voiced the character of Queen Tara in 2013 animated film Epic. Her other movie credits include 2002 comedy Austin Powers in Goldmember, 2006 movie musical Dreamgirls and 2009 thriller Obsessed.

Beyonce announced her pregnancy in early February (17) and later announced that she would be pulling out of her headlining slot at the Coachella music festival.

At present, only two cast members for the Lion King movie have been announced. Atlanta actor Donald Glover will portray Simba, and James Earl Jones will reprise his role as Mufasa.

The new Lion King is being fast-tracked by Disney bosses, as Favreau is also developing a sequel to his recent hit revamp of The Jungle Book. It also comes as the studio continues to put a focus on live-action adaptations, following the success of 2010's Alice in Wonderland, 2014's Maleficient and the recently released Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson.

Nala was first voiced by Moira Kelly in the original film, with Sally Dworsky providing the singing voice.

A possible release date for The Lion King is yet to be announced.