mtv.com
Disney fans, rejoice! The Lion King film series is getting a spin-off, and some of our favorite characters will be making an appearance. Do you hear that? I think I hear the kid inside you screaming.
The spin-off, titled The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, is a television movie that will arrive on the Disney Channel in November. The movie follows the primary protagonist Kion and his friends, who are grouped together as a task force of animals responsible for preserving the Pride Lands. They use their unique abilities to keep the “Circle of Life” going throughout the animal kingdom. Kion, voiced by Max Charles (Mr. Peabody & Sherman), is the second-born son of Simba and Nala. Atticus Shaffer (The Middle) will voice Ono, an egret; Diamond White (Phineas and Ferb) will voice Fuli, a cheetah; Joshua Rush (Parental Guidance) will play Bunga, a honey badger; and Dusan Brown (Blaze & The Monster Machines) will play the hippo Beshte. They’re basically the animal version of the Power Rangers, or more like the kids from Captain Planet.
Beloved characters from the original film will also appear in the T.V. movie . Gabrielle Union (Being Mary Jane) is set to voice Nala, and Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation) will voice the king himself, Simba. James Earl Jones and Ernie Sabella will come back as the original voices of Mufasa and Pumbaa. And, of course, Rafiki will be returning, voiced by Khary Payton, and Timon, voiced by Kevin Schon, will be making an appearance at Pride Rock.
The spin-off will be directed by Howy Parkins (The Emperor’s New School), and there will be new music from composer Christopher Willis (X-Men: First Class, Grown Ups) and Beau Black. There will be a preview of the new movie at Disney’s D23 Expo on August 16.
The television movie will lead into a series, which will premiere in early 2016.The show will be set in the African Savanna and will educate children about the different types of animals within the African paradise. This re-imagined take on the original 1994 film will be sure to bring an old classic to a new generation. Satisfy your kid inside and watch The Lion Guard in November.