Disney’s Live-Action ‘The Lion King’ Remake: John Oliver Cast As Zazu

Joining the cast of Disney’s stellar live-action remake of “The Lion King” is “Last Week Tonight’s” John Oliver as Zazu, the red-billed hornbill and royal advisor to Mufasa and Simba. Disney has found their recent live-action adaptations of classics to be a success, and “The Lion King” is their latest effort to bring its beloved characters back to the big screen.

While “Cinderella” and “Beauty and the Beast” were close-to-faithful adaptations (albeit certain elements), Robert Stromberg’s “Maleficent” was a different spin on the classic “Sleeping Beauty” story, focusing on the villain instead of the princess.

John Oliver Confirmed as Zazu for ‘The Lion King’

Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book” also found critical and commercial success, with largely positive reviews and earning a total of $966,550,600 at the worldwide box office. Due to the success of Favreau’s adaptation, he was again tapped by Disney to helm “The Lion King.”

Rowan Atkinson as Zazu in The Lion King (1994). Photo via Disney Enterprises, Inc.

In a report by The Wrap, the studio has officially cast former “The Daily Show” host and correspondent John Oliver as the voice of Zazu, the ever-loyal royal advisor to Mufasa and subsequently, Simba. In the original 1994 animated movie, Zazu was voiced by Rowan Atkinson (aka Mr. Bean). However, neither Disney nor Oliver’s reps have commented on the report. The talk show host will be joining the already-confirmed cast members: Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa. Earlier reports also hinted at Beyoncé as Nala, but scheduling conflicts may have prevented her from signing onto “The Lion King” remake.

Oliver is more widely known for his work on “The Daily Show” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.” But the host has also done a lot of voice work in the past, including “The Smurfs,” guest appearances on “Rick and Morty,” “Bob’s Burgers,” and “The Simpsons.”

Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Niketa Calame in The Lion King (1994). Photo via Disney Enterprises, Inc.

It’s obvious that Disney and Favreau are aiming for a star-studded cast for the remake, with it being one of the most well-loved classic films. Given how successful “The Jungle Book” turned out to be, we can rest assured that the director has got things under control and will hopefully do a faithful adaptation of the Disney classic animated movie.