September 28, 2016

'Jungle Book' Director Jon Favreau Set to Helm Another Live-Action Reimagining: 'The Lion King'

WATCH: Disney Releases 'The Lion King' Adaptation for School Productions

Continuing with what the company hopes will be a successful live-action reimagining of its properties — a la "Maleficent," "Cinderella" and "The Jungle Book" — Disney announced its plans for a new version of its animated classic "The Lion King."

The project has been put in the hands of director Jon Favreau — who called the shots on not only "The Jungle Book," which made more than $960 million worldwide, but also the blockbusters "Iron Man" and "Iron Man 2."

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The filmmaker tweeted about it Wednesday morning, saying simply, "Excited about my next project," followed by lion and crown emoji.

There is no release date yet for the live-action version of "The Lion King." Disney's next live-action adaptation, "Beauty and the Beast," starring Emma Watson as Belle, hits theaters March 17, 2017.

Favreau is also working on a sequel to "The Jungle Book."

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