Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King is bringing back another familiar component for fans of the animated classic, with Hans Zimmer set to compose the score. The Mouse House has kicked off a trend of combing through their animated library of classics and giving them the live-action adaptation that is now possible with advances in technology. Jon Favreau broke ground with the nearly complete CGI remake of The Jungle Book, and the $1 billion hit gave Disney every reason to feel comfortable handing the Iron Man director the reigns for the remake of one of their most beloved films.


Lion King isn’t set to hit theaters until the summer of 2019, but this year has been filled with reports of the cast expanding. The entire Lion King cast has now been confirmed, and more official word on the remake is starting to surface. Not only did Disney bring back James Earl Jones to voice Mufasa, but they’re also bringing back Hans Zimmer and his memorable score.

Disney confirmed the Oscar-winning composer will be back in an official press release. Zimmer is responsible for several iconic and easy to pick out scores, so it is no surprise he is coming back for the live-action tale. Considering how well-known his original themes – like ‘This Land,’ ‘…To Die For,’ ‘Under the Stars,’ and ‘King of Pride Rock’ – are, it will be expected that they are featured again, along with presumably a few other new themes.


Zimmer’s score is one piece to The Lion King‘s renowned soundtrack, and rumor has it Beyoncé will do the soundtrack this time around. The combination of Beyoncé and Zimmer would be a formidable pairing and would all but guarantee The Lion King will sound incredible, along with having stunning visuals. Both parties should have creative freedom to add new moments for the live-action take, but the D23 footage also guarantees Favreau is looking to stick close to the original material when possible.


All around, Disney has assembled an all-star team to bring The Lion King to life on the big screen in a brand new way. Favreau is one of the top directors working, and he’s got a cast list that could rival any film out there. The addition of Zimmer is just another reason to get excited for Disney’s upcoming remake. The pieces are in place for a truly great film (that could rival the original), now it’s just up to Favreau and company to deliver on these lofty expectations.