James Earl Jones to return to "Lion King" sequel

James Earl Jones will lend his voice to the original king of the jungle, Mufasa. He will return to the "Lion King" sequel "The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar" to reprise his role as Simba's father, reports Vulture.

"The Lion Guard" will premiere as a movie on the Disney Channel, followed by a related series on Disney Junior.

Rob Lowe and Gabrielle Union will voice Simba and Nala, and Max Charles of "The Strain" will voice their cub, Kion.

The series will follow Kion and his friends from all levels of the animal kingdom, including a honey badger named Bunga, an egret named Ono, a cheetah called Fuli and a hippo named Beshte. The motley crew will patrol the Pride Lands with their leader, but of course, Jones' voice will reign supreme.