Jeff Nathanson Tapped to Write Live-Action Reboot of THE LION KING

According to Variety, Jeff Nathanson has signed on as the writer for Disney's latest live-action reboot, The Lion King. As BroadwayWorld reported in September, Jon Favreau is slated to direct the film. Nathanson wrote the screenplay for Catch Me If You Can, which was later adapted into a musical starring Aaron Tveit and Norbert Leo Butz. The Broadway production was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The Lion King joins Disney's other recent reimaginings of its classic animated films, including Maleficent, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book. The highly anticipated BEAUTY AND THE BEASTmovie, starring Emma Watson as Belle, will premiere in 2017. According to the site, the Lion King reboot will include songs from the animated film. No release date has been announced.

Released in theaters in 1994, THE LION KING was a global box office smash, grossing $968.8 million, including $422.8 million domestically. It received Academy Awards for the original song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (Elton John, Tim Rice) and original score (Hans Zimmer), as well as two Grammy Awards, with the soundtrack selling over 14 million copies.

In 1997, the stage production THE LION KING debuted on Broadway, earning six Tony Awards. The production continues to run and remains one of Broadway's biggest hits alongside several other productions running around the world, including London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Madrid, Mexico City, Shanghai, and North America. Translated into eight different languages, its 23 global productions have been seen by more than 85 million people across every continent except Antarctica.

For the original Variety article, click here.