Did you realize it’s been over 20 years since the opening strains of “The Circle of Life” came roaring into movie theaters?  Yeah, Disney’s The Lion King is 21 now, and remains one of the most popular tellings of “Hamlet” of the modern age.

This weekend in LA, the D23 convention happens, which is where Disney the company unveils their upcoming plans for films, television, and merchandise.  It’s kind of like SDCC’s Hall H and dealer’s hall rolled into one, but with more Mickey and Minnie.  Last year, Disney announced their plans to revisit Pride Rock in a new film called The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar following the story of grown up Simba (Rob Lowe) and Nala (Gabrielle Union).

We also will meet Kion (voiced by Max Charles) who leads The Lion Guard, traditionally comprised of the bravest, strongest and fastest animals of the Pride Lands. However, Kion breaks with tradition and instead recruits his friends: Bunga (Joshua Rush), a blustery honey badger; Ono (Atticus Shaffer), a smarty-pants egret; Fuli (Diamond White), a confident cheetah; and Beshte (Dusan Brown), a friendly hippo.  Check out the first clip here:

https://youtu.be/J3HevDh7CE8

The Lion Guard will also feature the return of James Earl Jones and Ernie Sabella as Mufasa and Pumbaa, as well as Kevin Schon as the voice of Timon from The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa TV series.

No word on an official release date yet, but it WILL air in November on the Disney Channel ahead of a new animated series that premieres in January on Disney Junior.