▲Matthew Broderick provided the friendly yet fierce voice of Simba in 1994.

▲Now, Donald Glover will take over the all-important role. He has previously voiced Alpha-Dawg on the cartoon sitcom 'Regular Show.'

▲Thomas started his career on the right paw, voicing the young Simba in 'The Lion King.'

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JD McCrary is the new voice of young Simba. He previously sang with Donald Glover, appearing on his 2016 album 'Awaken, My Love!'

▲Kelly is maybe best known for her roles in 'The Cutting Edge' and 'One Tree Hill,' but she also made her name as the voice of Nala.

▲Like her co-star Donald Glover, Beyoncé can sing and act. She will play Nala, and has proved herself in the animated film 'Epic.'

▲Niketa Calame was the voice of young Nala in 1994. More recently she starred in the action series 'Timeless.'

▲Meet the new voice of young Nala. Shahadi Wright Joseph also starred in 'Us,' a horror thriller directed by Jordan Peele.

▲Jones is maybe best known for his roles in 'The Great White Hope' and 'The Hunt for Red October.' He also voiced Darth Vader in the 'Star Wars' films, and Mufasa in 'The Lion King.'

▲That's right, no one can really replace James Earl Jones. He returns as the voice of Mufasa.

▲The voice of Sarabi was provided by Madge Sinclair, a Jamaican actress who made her name on shows like 'Roots' and 'Gabriel's Fire.'

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The voice of Sarabi is being taken over by Alfre Woodard. She is a prolific actress, who has starred in many TV shows and movies.

▲Irons is a perfect example of using a British actor for a villainous role. In 'The Lion King,' he played the ever-cruel antagonist Scar.

▲Replacing Irons in this role is Chiwetel Ejiofor. He has previously played a villain in 'Doctor Strange,' and more recently appeared in the animated film 'Sherlock Gnomes.'

▲Guillaume had a career that spanned more than 50 years. In 'The Lion King,' he played the wise mandrill Rafiki.

▲Kani is stepping in to voice Rafiki in the new 'Lion King' movie. The South African actor recently appeared in 'Black Panther.'

▲Sabella was the star of 'Tough Guys' and 'Going Under' before 'The Lion King,' in which he voiced Pumba.

▲Seth Rogen is the new voice of Pumba. The comedic actor has appeared in animated films like 'Kung Fu Panda' and 'Sausage Party.'

▲Lane is a prolific actor, who voiced Timon in 'The Lion King.' He has also appeared in 'The Birdcage' and 'The Producers,' to name but a few projects.

▲Taking over for Lane is Billy Eichner. He has previously voiced characters in 'The Angry Birds Movie.'

▲The hilarious actor was the perfect choice for Zazu, the nervous hornbill bird who works for Mufasa.

▲John Oliver will voice Zazu in the new 'Lion King.' He is best known for his late night talk show 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.'

▲Whoopi Goldberg provided the sassy voice of Shenzi, a spotted hyena who works for Scar.

▲Replacing Goldberg is Florence Kasumba, who recently impressed audiences in 'Black Panther.'

▲In the original 'Lion King,' the actor played Banzai, an aggressive hyena with a short temper.

▲Jim Cummings provided the voice for Ed, the dumbest of the three hyenas.

▲Instead of Ed, the comedian will play Kamari in the new 'Lion King.' Keegan-Michael Key is perhaps best known for his 'Key & Peele' series, which co-starred Jordan Peele.

▲Allers and Minkoff directed the original 'Lion King.' Allers went on to direct films such as 'Open Season,' while Minkoff went on to direct 'Stuart Little' and 'The Forbidden Kingdom.'

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Directing the new 'Lion King' is Jon Favreau. He grossed almost US$1 billion worldwide from previous remake 'The Jungle Book.'

Check out the breakdown of other live-action Disney remakes in the works!

▲The character of Banzai will not return, being replaced by a hyena named Azizi. He will be voiced by Eric André, a surrealist comedian unlike any other.

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Three words nearly everybody knows: 'The Lion King.' Whether you've seen the musical, watched the movie, or listened to the iconic songs, 'The Lion King' is a beast of a story, and truly one for the history books. Even so, it's hard to believe that the original film was released 25 years ago. How appropriate then that a new, live action version is set for release so soon! Jon Favreau is directing, and Donald Glover and Beyoncé will star. It seems like everyone is anticipating the new remake, so get to know the new cast with this handy gallery.

Click on and meet the cast of 'The Lion King,' as they were then and who they are now.