Disney remaking Lion King film

It’s the circle of life in Hollywood: The Lion King is being remade, and Jon Favreau’s in charge.

The Oscar-winning 1994 animated film, which raked in $968.8 million (U.S.) worldwide, is being fasttracked for a “reimagining,” Walt Disney Studios announced Wednesday, with an eye toward using the same high-end CG technology Favreau employed for his version of The Jungle Book — which grossed $965.8 million worldwide earlier this year.

No release date has been set for the new Lion King, which will — like Disney’s upcoming remake of Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson — include songs from the original movie.

Favreau and Disney Studios currently have a Jungle Book sequel in development, also without a release date scheduled.

The voice cast of the original Lion King included actors Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jeremy Irons. The musical version The Lion Kingdebuted in1997, and can be seen currently on Broadway and on tour in the U.S. and overseas. Los Angeles Times