Disney's The Lion King Remake: 8 Things They Must Do To Nail It
3. Get The New Cast Right!
From Alice In Wonderland to Maleficent to The Jungle Book, Disney's live-action remakes typically ditch the original cast in favour of a brand spanking new one, so it's safe to assume this will be the case here too. The Lion King's casting director doesn't have an enviable job, to say the least; not only do they have to match voices to photo-realistic creatures, but they have to top - or at the very least, match - the original cast that the new one will inevitably be compared to.
Of course, the temptation here is to just stuff the remake with as many A-list stars as possible, but this is a mistake. The Lion King will sell itself - there's no need to ride on the back of a handful of movie stars, and it would be far better to seek out talent, not fame, actors who will imbue their characters with a personality and won't just imitate the voices from the original.
These actors also have the rather difficult task of investing us in CGI animals, a job that's made even harder given the fact that there isn't a single real human for the plot to pivot around. Some decent shouts doing the online rounds this week include the ever-menacing Mads Mikkelsen as Scar, and Stranger Things newcomer Caleb McLaughlin as Young Simba, two guys that lack star-power but possess more than enough talent to make them worthwhile picks.
Regardless of who they choose, Disney must completely nail their casting choices - not only for the sake of the characters, but for the sake of the audience too. The Lion King remake needs some fresh, genuine talent attached to give us another reason to trek to the cinema instead of just watching the original at home.