A new cast member has joined the upcoming live-action The Lion King.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Alfre Woodard will be joining a cast that already includes Donald Glover as Simba and James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa. Woodard will voice Sarabi, Simba’s mother.
This comes after news that Beyoncé is reportedly in negotiations to play Nala, Simba’s childhood friend and love interest. The singer is also in talks to curate the film’s soundtrack.
Woodard has most recently appeared in Netflix hits Luke Cage, Burning Sands, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. The actresses’ 12 Years A Slave co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor is also rumored to be in talks to play Scar, which we have strongly advocated for.
The Lion King remake is still in pre-production, but we’re sure once the entire cast is finalized we’ll be hearing more news.