Jon Favreau

Man, Infinity War sure could use a few more characters, right? There really aren’t enough superheroes in this movie yet. What a tiny, tiny cast list. Okay, yes, this is sarcasm — Infinity War will feature more superheroes battling to save the world than can fit in a single shot… aaand we just got the news that it’ll feature two more.

On the heels of last week’s Aladdin update comes another exciting bit of casting news for another big Disney remake. This time it’s Jon Favreau’s take on The Lion King, which has enlisted Alfre Woodard as the voice of Sarabi — head lioness, partner to Mufasa, and mother of Simba in the upcoming live-action (ish) version of the studio’s beloved animated classic.

Still strongly beloved by 90's kids -- and even their kids -- in the two decades since its release, 'The Lion King' has proven it 'ain't no passing craze.'

So get ready for the best news you’ll hear probably all week. (Yes, I know it’s Friday, but I’m very excited and am losing the ability to process linear time.) Not only is Donald Glover voicing Simba in Jon Favreau’s live-action The Lion King, but none other than James Earl Jones will be lending his vocal talents to Simba’s father Mufasa.

Disney has released two new clips from The Jungle Book — one that will make you laugh as you reach for a snack, and another that will make you feel…some things. Let’s just get the emotional part of this out of the way up front so we can end on a more positive note, okay? Unless you feel particularly emotional about food, and in that case, feel free to reverse your viewing order.

The CGI in Jon Favreau’s adaptation of The Jungle Book looks incredible — though it is a little strange to see the animals actually speak, as you can in the first clip from Disney’s epic new adventure. The sneak peek introduces us to the fearsome and ferocious tiger Shere Khan, voiced by Idris Elba, and while it’ll take some adjusting to hear these famous voices coming out of the mouths of gorgeous animals, Elba is inarguably the perfect voice for Khan.

Tickets for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be available on February 29 (that’s tomorrow, FYI), with the movie hitting theaters about a month later, on March 25. Disney is banking on similarly huge business for Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book, as the studio has officially launched ticket pre-sales as of today, even though the film doesn’t hit theaters for another two months. If that isn’t enough to get your attention, then maybe this new TV spot will.

This has been on my radar for quite a while. Check this post to see why.