Oh, I Just Can't Wait To Be Queen: Beyoncé In Final Talks To Star And Sing In 'The Lion King' Remake

I think you should "listen," because there is some potentially huge news coming straight out of the jungle for Disney's live-action adaptation of The Lion King. As the cast snares big names like Donald Glover, a returning James Earl Jones, and latest additions Alfre Woodward and John Kani, there is still one major role left to fill for #JonFavreau's modern interpretation. As one of the hottest tickets in town, the question on everyone's lips is who will be playing Simba's prowling playmate Nala? While the two start as friends and then end as lovers, Nala is key to the plot of #TheLionKing, however, an outside name has found herself moving to the front of the pride.

Run The World

Let me grab a cool glass of "lemonade" for this one, because #Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is reportedly just moments away from sinking her claws into the role of Nala. While no one actor is "irreplaceable," Beyoncé could certainly stamp her name all over Nala and eclipse Disney's cartoon from 1994 with a performance that we will remember until the "end of time."

When reporting on Woodward's casting, The Tracking Board revealed that Beyoncé's"serious talks" to play Nala have just got a whole lot more serious. As well as voicing Nala, Queen Bae may also be the one to put her silky vocals to the soundtrack.

While the part of Nala isn't locked down it is believed that Beyoncé is nearing a final deal to produce the soundtrack and voice the lioness. Interestingly, this is expected to include existing songs from the cartoon alongside original compositions from the Grammy Award-winning singer. It is also reported that Disney is saving this announcement until last due to complicated negotiations and the fact that the soundtrack is "nearly" as important as the actual movie itself.

If I were a lion.

Given that Yoncé is easily one of the most influential women of the 21st Century, having her join The Lion King could be big news for Favreau and Disney. The 1994 soundtrack by Elton John was basically a license to print money, so just imagine the fearsome feminine influence of Knowles-Carter and a modern update on the songs that many of us grew up with. The Lion King has one of the best movie soundtracks of all time (in my opinion), so why wouldn't you cast a megastar like Beyoncé?

Also, if you look at the likes of Beauty and the Beast, how many viewers tuned in just because someone like Emma Watson or Ewan McGregor was past of the cast? We massively underestimate how much star power can pull in audiences, and with her shining "halo," Beyoncé has quite the power. Favreau's live-action The Jungle Book had the great and the good of Hollywood, and while Bill Murray shone brightly, Scarlett Johansson felt vastly underused. However, if Beyoncé is cast as Nala, there would be no chance of wasting her talent.

While 1994's cartoon had the likes of Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, and James Earl Jones, Nala was a relatively unknown Moira Kelly. With the might of Disney behind the live-action remake, Nala was never going to be "just" some voice actor, but Beyoncé can be the whole package — by finding your female lead and the woman to sing your soundtrack, you kill two birds with one stone. If you exclude Goldmember, we also tend to forget that Beyoncé can act and has had some great roles in Dreamgirls and Cadillac Records. Obviously, voicing a CGI lion isn't quite the same, but you get the drift.

The hype alone surrounding Beyonce grabbing any role in The Lion King would be enough to throw those Disney bucks at the starlet, but to provide the soundtrack too — I'd call that money in the bank. While we are still waiting for an official confirmation, let's hope Favreau gets the deal signed so we can "get in formation" for this "flawless" casting decision.

(Source: The Tracking Board)