'Lion King' Director Explains Why James Earl Jones Skipped World Premiere

The world premiere of The Lion King occurred earlier this week in Los Angeles, and one member of the cast was noticeably missing.

Fans started to worry about James Earl Jones after the 88-year-old actor skipped out on the premiere of the film and was not featured in the promotional cast shoot. But according to director Jon Favreau, they have nothing to worry about.

“He’s based on the East Coast. This is something that takes a lot out of you to do,” Jon shared with USA Today. “So his participation was geared more toward his performance.”

James first voiced Mufasa in the 1994 animated film and reprised his role for the 2019 live-action remake.

“He was incredibly gracious to participate in this,” Jon continued. “I don’t know what I would have done had he not.”

The Lion King hits theaters on Friday, July 19th.