Disney's The Lion King Remake: Casting All 10 Major Roles
7. Zazu (Hugh Laurie)
That sarcastic, dry sense of humour that us Brits are oh-so good at (and renowned for) is Zazu's defining trait, so it's imperative that the remake keeps this element intact.
With this in mind, who better to tackle the loyal red-billed bird than Hugh Laurie? The actor's primarily known for his comedic roles in Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster, and since Zazu provides a lot of the Lion King's lighter moments (especially in the first half), the character needs a performer who's extremely comfortable in that space.
Plus, when Laurie does play against type - like his turn as a glum doomsday preacher in Tomorrowland - it doesn't tend to work out. He's better when he's bringing the laughs, and he'd slot in really nicely here.
Chances Of It Happening
The biggest issue that's working against Laurie is the fact that he could be deemed a little too similar to Zazu's original voice, Rowan Atkinson. While the characters do need to be comparable, it's unclear if Laurie - while he'd be a fitting choice - would be able to do things differently enough to avoid those 'impersonation' accusations.
Plus, the guy doesn't really do blockbusters all that often. His last one was Tomorrowland nearly two years ago, and given the way that film was received, it probably put him off big summer tentpoles for the foreseeable future.