The Lion King live-action gets Pirates screenwriter

The upcoming live-action adaptation of Disney’s The Lion King will be written by veteran screenwriter, Jeff Nathanson (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), according to a report by IGN.

Nathanson has also written screenplays for Rush Hour 2 and 3, Catch Me If You Can, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Deadline also announced that Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book, Iron Man) will be directing this new version of the Disney classic. No details have been revealed yet about the filming schedule for this new venture as Favreau will also be directing a Jungle Book sequel, according to IGN. No news on the casting has been released as well but it’s still early days.

The Lion King is just one of the many animated Disney classic films that is being adapted into a live-action version, following the successes of The Jungle Book, Pete’s Dragon, Maleficent, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland. More adaptations are currently being developed including a live-action Mulan, a sequel to Mary Poppins, and a live-action version of The Little Mermaid. The next live-action Disney classic will be Emma Watson’s Beauty and the Beast, due to be released on March 17, 2017.

Somewhat inspired by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and set in the savannas of Africa, The Lion King was released in 1994 and according to Deadline is one of the highest grossing animated films of all time. The Broadway musical of the same name won six Tonys in 1997 and is still going strong, with over 20 productions and having been seen by more than 85 million people. The film had some truly unforgettable songs such as “Circle of Life”, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”, and “Hakuna Matata.”

Watch this space for more news on the live-action adaptation of Disney’s The Lion King.