Disney has released details of the cast and the first clip from The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, the upcoming Disney Channel animated movie which will serve as both a sequel to The Lion King and a lead-in to the animated series The Lion Guard. Here’s the official press release from Disney, along with the synopsis and clip…
James Earl Jones and Ernie Sabella reprise their roles from “The Lion King” as Mufasa and Pumbaa, alongside Rob Lowe (“The Grinder”) as Simba and Gabrielle Union (“Being Mary Jane”) as Nala. Max Charles (“The Strain”) stars as Kion. The voice cast also includes Joshua Rush (“The Adventures of Puss in Boots”) as Kion’s best friend, Bunga, a fearless honey badger; Atticus Shaffer (“The Middle”) as Ono, an intellectual egret; Diamond White (“Sofia the First”) as Fuli, a confident cheetah; and Dusan Brown (“Blaze and the Monster Machines”) as Beshte, a friendly and good-spirited hippo.
Additional cast members include: Eden Riegel (“All My Children”) as Kiara, Sarah Hyland (“Modern Family”) as Tiifu, Madison Pettis as Zuri and Jeff Bennett as Zazu (both from “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”); Andrew Kishino (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars”) as Janja, Vargus Mason (“Sofia the First”) as Cheezi, Greg Ellis (“Star Wars Rebels”) as Mzingo, Khary Payton (“Teen Titans”) as Rafiki, and Kevin Schon (“The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa”) as Chungu and Timon.
Set in the African Savanna, “The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar” follows Kion as he assembles the members of the Lion Guard. While traditionally the Lion Guard has been comprised of lions known to be the fiercest, bravest, fastest, strongest and keenest of sight in the Pride Lands, Kion breaks tradition by instead calling upon some of his friends who he believes best exemplify these heroic qualities. Throughout the movie and the series, the diverse team of young animals will learn how to utilize each of their unique abilities to solve problems and accomplish tasks to maintain balance within the Circle of Life, while also introducing young viewers to the vast array of animals that populate the prodigious African landscape.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X19M8Ugshlw
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar will premiere in November, with the series set to get underway in January 2016.
