The first trailer for the live action The Lion King has landed, and it is remarkably like that first trailer for the animated, Oscar winning classic that arrived decades ago. Just as he did with The Jungle Book, director Jon Favreau has done something extraordinary in bringing to the screen something animators could create with their brushes that he must capture with his camera (and computer).
First off, Favreau’s film looks sensational, gorgeous and another example of the filmmaker raising the bar with his supreme talents. Helping in this effort is a terrific cast—including Billy Eichner, Eric Andre, Beyonce Knowles Carter, Seth Rogen and Donald Glover. Providing the voice for Mufasa, as he did in the first one, is legend James Earl Jones.
Sure, some purists may scoff at the idea that The Lion King 2019 is not truly a “live action” remake. After all, those aren’t really African animals showing up for work and delivering their lines. These are creations on a computer, but please… let’s be real. This is a live action film by definition and look for it to get some serious Oscar love in the technical categories—just like Favreau’s The Jungle Book did.
The Lion King lands in theaters July 19, 2019 and will also features the voice talent of John Oliver, Keegan-Michael Key, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard and John Kani.