The Lion King Trailer Reaction: Disney's 'Live-Action' Remake Looks Stunning
Oh I just can't wait... to see Jon Favreau's The Lion King remake.
The first trailer for the upcoming remake of The Lion King has been revealed, and it should absolutely eviscerate any lingering doubts over Disney's ability to redo its most beloved animated classic.
The CGI reimagining (or 'live-action', although it's largely lacking in that department) of the 1994 classic is a difficult proposition. Many people have grown up with that movie, and it's rightly regarded as one of the finest animations ever made, from its story to its enviable voice cast to the memorable songs, but Jon Favreau's take looks to have pulled it off.
The trailer is very much in keeping with that of the original, focusing on the presentation of a young Simba to the animals of the Pride Lands, and it mostly looks like a shot-for-shot remake. Beginning with the opening sunrise of the savannah, it's very much reassuring audiences that they aren't going to f**k this up, tapping into that oh-so-important nostalgia factor that helps drive the box-office of the films, but also showing why it's worthwhile at the same time.
Favreau and his team's work on The Jungle Book was brilliant, and it looks like they've gone to an ever greater level here with just how photorealistic the CGI looks: all of the animals look incredible, and Simba especially is utterly adorable. The backdrops look gorgeous too, with the trailer making the sunrise into a big focal point, and there are lots of moments that fans of the original will recognise and love. Hans Zimmer's score swells, James Earl Jones' voice booms out as Mufasa once more, and it's hard not to be swept up in the wonder of it all.
The trailer doesn't do much to highlight its own excellent voice cast - led by Donald Glover (Adult Simba) and Beyoncé (Adult Nala), and featuring Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), Billy Eichner (Timon), John Oliver (Zazu), and Keegan-Michael Key (Kamari) alongside the aforementioned Jones - but then it doesn't really need to. This is all about selling the look, the feel, and the emotion of the remake, and with that Disney have absolutely no worries.
What did you think of The Lion King trailer? Let us know down in the comments.