The Lion King Remake: Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen To Voice Timon & Pumbaa

The latest Disney remake from Director Jon Favreau seems to be on a roll. “The Lion King” live-action remake is steadily moving forward, as it has just announced two new cast members to voice the beloved duo Timon and Pumbaa. The iconic meerkat-warthog pair was originally voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella both in the 1994 animated “Lion King” movie and the Disney animated series “Timon & Pumbaa.” The duo is one of the most memorable and loved characters from the Disney classic. Not only do they serve as great life coaches to Simba, but also provide the movie comic relief. They are also the lead singers of one of Disney’s most popular soundtracks, “Hakuna Matata.”

While the original “Lion King” animated version had a lot of recognizable voices, Favreau is set to cast star talent to fill in the acting roster for the live-action remake of “The Lion King.” James Earl Jones is back as Mufasa and Donald Glover fills in the lead role for the adult Simba. Now, Simba’s two best pals have found new voices for the film.

It Means No Worries: Timon & Pumbaa Finds New Voice Actors for The Lion King Remake

It has been confirmed by The Wrap that Seth Rogen has signed on to voice the lovable Pumbaa, while Billy Eichner is set to provide the voice acting for Timon. Both are great comedians and have worked together before, most recently in “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.” It’s fun to see them work together again in one of Disney’s most popular classics, and we can’t wait to see how their comedic chops will be ingrained withing Timon and Pumbaa.

Eichner and Rogen are no newbeis when it comes to doing voice work. Rogen has been previously involved with “Shrek The Third,” the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise, a couple of TV shows and his most recent R-Rated project, “Sausage Party.” Meanwhile, Eichner has appeared frequently in “Bob’s Burgers” and also in last year’s “Angry Birds Movie.”

“The Lion King” Scheduled For A 2019 Release

The latest cast announcement comes directly on the cusp of Favreau’s announcement on Twitter that “The Lion King” is slated for a 2019 theatrical release. Given how “The Jungle Book” did at the box office last year, “The Lion King” might just outrun how well the former did.

Even with Timon and Pumbaa now having voice actors, there are still a number of huge roles to fill. Beyonce is Favreau’s first choice to play Nala, but hasn’t given any official word yet. Scar, Rafiki, Zazu and the hyena trio are still missing their respective voices. But with the current casting decision made by Favreau, we can expect big names to be thrown in the mix real soon.

“The Lion King” hits theaters on July 19, 2019.