Disney's The Lion King Remake: 8 Things They Must Do To Nail It
The circle of live-action continues...
In a piece of news that can only be described as unsurprising, yet surprising, The House Of Mouse - whose animated remake-rampage shows no signs of slowing down - have recently announced plans to develop a re-imagining of their 1994 classic The Lion King, with live-action Jungle Book helmer Jon Favreau steering the directorial ship.
After the roaring success of the latter film, we all suspected that a Lion King remake was on the way, but it's still surprising to see Disney greenlight a live-action movie that features no human characters and what's more, is based on (arguably) their finest, most definitive work to date. Some would argue that The Lion King is an untouchable classic, a film that never needed the weaker sequels that it got and one that doesn't leave much room for innovation, upheaval or improvement - and this point of view is definitely a viable one.
But whether we like it or not, a remake is on the cards - and it's been put on the "fast track to production" according to the official press release that accompanied the announcement. While it may seem like an impossible task to create a convincing, photo-realistic movie using only talking animals, Disney - with The Jungle Book and Cinderella - have proven they know how to handle a remake, and then some.
This in mind, here are 8 key things the studio must do to continue their current hot streak...
8. Don't Cave In To The 'Franchise' Effect
Studios love recognisable IP these days. Franchises, remakes, reboots, sequels and cinematic universes usually prove to be guaranteed money-makers, and that's why we see a lot of them on the release calendar.
We forget that this is a business and jobs are on the line - money needs to be made, so you can't really blame studios for their lack of originality. But often, tying films to each other, tying films to TV shows, adding in post-credits scenes and hinting at sequels and a wider universe can wash the integrity of a standalone film down the drain, and that's exactly what would happen if Disney adopted this mentality here.
It's entirely plausible (since the press release called this new movie a 'reimagining,' not a remake) that the studio would capitalize on the popularity of the Lion King brand and use the remake as a way to set up sequels, or tie it into their incredibly successful TV spin-off, The Lion Guard. Imagine if a character from the show was shoehorned into the movie's plot, or we got a mid-credits tag teasing The Lion King 2. It'd be completely laughable, and would reaffirm the widespread thought that Disney aren't remaking all their beloved properties for the sake of a 'new vision' - they're doing it for the cash.
It's no coincidence that The Lion Guard was renewed for a second season just this year, and it's no coincidence that Disney spiralled into remake-craziness after a couple of high-profile, more original bombs in the form of John Carter and The Lone Ranger. The company has dollar signs in its eyes and they're craving franchises, sequels and remakes but they must not let the urge to make money tarnish what should be a singular, standalone, one-and-done movie.