Disney’s upcoming remake of its classic 1994 animated film The Lion King will add voice actress Amy Sedaris for a brand new role.
According to a report from Variety, Sedaris will take on the role of an elephant shrew. Elephant shrews also known as jumping shrews or sengis are small mammals that feed on insects. The elephant shrews are native to Africa and derive their name from their long snout that resembles the trunk of an elephant.
No details about Sedaris’ character other than the fact she will give voice to the elephant shrew were revealed. If I were a betting man, I would wager her character might be connected to Timon and Pumbaa, the infamous meerkat and warthog duo that provided plenty of laughs when the original film debuted.
Sedaris is no stranger to voice work. She gives voice to Princess Carolyn on Netflix’s BoJack Horseman. She also provided the voice for Aunt Ida in My Life as a Zucchini. She also did the voice-work on Jill for the Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots.
Sedaris joins James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Donald Glover as Simba, Beyonce as Nala, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, for Disney’s reimagining of The Lion King. The film is being directed by Disney’s go-to man Jon Favreau. Favreau is also working on the Star Wars television series, The Mandalorian, which will debut on the Disney+ streaming service. He also launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe by not only directing the first Iron Man, but also starring as Tony Stark’s right hand man, Happy Hogan.
Sedaris is no stranger to working with Favreau. He directed Elf where she played Deb. Favreau also directed, wrote, and starred in Chef alongside Sedaris, who played Jen.
What role do you think Sedaris will have in The Lion King? Do you think she will play comic relief alongside Timon and Pumbaa? Or will the character maybe have an extremely minor role maybe appearing in one scene to honor Simba after he was won back Pride Rock from Scar.
The Lion King hits theaters on July 19, 2019.