Ah, the circle of remakes – much like the circle of life, it all comes back to the beginning. Disney’s new live-action/CGI take on The Lion King is just another part of the cycle, but fans are divide as to how to feel about it:
In the trailer we see the stunning detail of both the Savannah and the animals themselves, mainly made through computer animation. We get a few of the iconic scenes thrown in there as well: the iconic Hakuna Matata time-skip walk, the stampede that kills Mufasa, and Simba’s learning about the circle of life. We also get to hear Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar and the return of the legendary James Earl Jones as Mufasa.
Some fans, however, have expressed disappointment in how Scar has been re-imagined. Rather than the orange-furred, black-maned lion from the animated version, the new incarnation is in all white, looks emaciated and hunched over, and generally gives off a sickly, despicable vibes. While none of the lions are as vibrantly colored as they were in the animated version, but it is strange to go for a radically different design when elements of the original are present in nature. Zazu also got a remodel, though his new design looks a little more like the red-billed hornbill bird he is supposed to be. Either way, it’s likely your mileage may vary on the designs themselves, no matter how good it all looks together.
The Lion King features an all-star cast, including the aforementioned Ejiofor and Jones, Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Alfre Woodward, Keegan-Michael Key, Eric André, John Oliver, and Seth Rogen. The film is directed by Jon Favreau, who also directed the live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book.
The Lion King will premiere in theaters on July 19, 2019.