Fear the Walking Dead's Lennie James lends voice talents to Mufasa: The Lion King
By Renee Hansen
Actor Lennie James said goodbye to Morgan Jones, a character he portrayed from the pilot episode of The Walking Dead in 2010 until the midseason finale of the final season of Fear the Walking Dead in 2023. Next, James will voice the character Obasi in Mufasa: The Lion King.
The musical drama Mufasa: The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins and written by Jeff Nathanson, is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 20, 2024. The new film will be an origin story and follow-up to the 2019 film directed by Jon Favreau that was also written by Nathanson. Both movies are based on Disney's beloved 1994 animated classic, The Lion King.
Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, John Kani, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reprise their roles from Favreau's film with Alfre Woodard replaced by Tiffany Boone. In addition to James, other new cast members include Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, and Blue Ivy Carter, daughter of Knowles-Carter, in her feature film debut.
The official trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King showcases stunning visuals and a score worthy of the king of the Pride Lands, featuring the genius of Nicholas Britell, Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Mark Mancina.
Lennie James bids farewell to Morgan Jones
Morgan Jones was a pioneer in The Walking Dead universe by becoming the first to crossover to a spinoff series. During the fourth season of Fear the Walking Dead, Morgan's story was inserted into the first TWD spinoff. Morgan's road was tough, but he weathered it and, in the end, set out with his daughter Mo (Zoey Merchant) in search of his old friend Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). From all reports, James has put Morgan's story to rest stating, "You’ll only see him again if a story comes up within the universe that is just too good to say no to."
Lennie James - other roles
James is well known for his roles in Jericho, Low Winter Sun, Snatch, Lockout, and more. Next up is the eight-part series Mr. Loverman, which premieres at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. He will executive produce and star as Barrington Jedidiah Walker in a story based on the novel by Bernardine Evaristo.
Early this year, James appeared in the fourth season of the National Geographic series Genius. Each season of the biographical anthology series focuses on a notable person, with the fourth focusing on Martin Luther King Jr., where James portrayed MLK Sr., the father of the Civil Rights activist.
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