Plans for a remake of 1994'sThe Lion King were confirmed in September 2016 following box office successes for Disney remakes such asThe Jungle Book (2016). Favreau was inspired by certain roles of characters in theBroadway adaptation and developed upon elements of the original film's story. Much of the main cast signed on in early 2017, andprincipal photography began in mid-2017 on ablue screen stage in Los Angeles. Thevirtual reality tools utilized inThe Jungle Book's cinematography were used to a greater degree during the filming ofThe Lion King. ComposersHans Zimmer,Elton John, and lyricistTim Rice returned to compose the score alongside Knowles-Carter, who assisted John in the reworking of the soundtrack and wrote a new song for the film, "Spirit", which she also performed. With a production budget of $250–260 million, the film is one of themost expensive films ever made, as well as themost expensive Disney remake.
In the Pride Lands ofTanzania, a pride oflions rule over the kingdom from Pride Rock. KingMufasa and Queen Sarabi's newborn son,Simba, is presented to the gathering animals by Rafiki themandrill, the kingdom'sshaman and advisor. Mufasa's younger brother,Scar, covets the throne.
Mufasa shows Simba the Pride Lands and forbids him from exploring beyond its borders. He explains to Simba the responsibilities of kingship and the "circle of life", which connects all living things. Scar manipulates Simba into exploring anelephant graveyard beyond the Pride Lands. There, Simba and his best friend,Nala, are chased by a clan ofspotted hyenas led by the ruthlessShenzi. Mufasa is alerted by hismajordomo, thehornbill Zazu, and rescues the cubs. Though disappointed with Simba for disobeying him and endangering himself and Nala, Mufasa forgives him. He explains that the great kings of the past watch over them from the night sky, from which he will one day watch over Simba. Scar visits the hyenas andconvinces them to help him kill Mufasa and Simba in exchange for hunting rights in the Pride Lands.
Scar sets a trap for Simba and Mufasa. He lures Simba into a gorge and signals the hyenas to drive a large herd ofwildebeest into a stampede to trample him. Scar alerts Mufasa, who saves Simba and tries to escape the gorge; he begs for Scar's help, but Scar betrays Mufasa by throwing him into the stampede to his death. Scar then deceives Simba into believing that Mufasa's death was his fault and tells him to leave the kingdom and never return. He then orders the hyenas to kill Simba, who escapes. Unaware of Simba's survival, Scar tells the pride that the stampede killed both Mufasa and Simba, and steps forward as the new king, allowing the hyenas into the Pride Lands.
Simba collapses in a desert but is rescued by two outcasts, ameerkat and awarthog namedTimon and Pumbaa. Simba grows up with his two new friends in theiroasis, living a carefree life under their motto "hakuna matata" ("no worries" inSwahili). Meanwhile, Scar attempts to convince Sarabi to be his queen, but she refuses. Years later, an adult Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa from a hungry lioness, who is revealed to be Nala. Simba and Nalafall in love, and she urges him to return home, telling him that the Pride Lands have becomedrought-stricken under Scar's reign. Still feeling guilty over Mufasa's death, Simba refuses and leaves angrily. He encounters Rafiki, who tells Simba that Mufasa's spirit lives on in him. Simba is visited by the spirit of Mufasa in the night sky, who tells him that he must take his place as king. After Rafiki advises him to learn from the past instead of running from it, Simba decides to return to the Pride Lands.
Aided by his friends, Simba sneaks past the hyenas at Pride Rock and confronts Scar, who shames Simba over his supposed role in Mufasa's death. Scar then reveals to Simba that he killed Mufasa. Enraged, Simba retaliates and forces Scar to confess the truth to the pride. A battle ensues between Simba and his allies and the hyenas. Scar attempts to escape, but is cornered by Simba at a ledge near the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs for mercy and attempts to deceive Simba by blaming his actions on the hyenas. Simba spares Scar's life but orders him to leave the Pride Lands forever; Scar refuses and attacks Simba. Following a brief battle, Simba throws Scar off the ledge. Scar survives the fall, but the hyenas, who overheard him betraying them, attack and maul him to death.
With Scar and the hyenas gone, Simba takes his place as king, and Nala becomes his queen. With the Pride Lands restored, Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub to the assembled animals, thus continuing the circle of life.
Donald Glover asSimba, a younglion prince and the son of Mufasa and Sarabi who grows up to become the future king of the Pride Lands. Glover said that the film will focus more on Simba's time growing up than the original film did, stating that "[Favreau] was very keen in making sure we saw [Simba's] transition from boy to man and how hard that can be when there's been a deep trauma".[6]
Seth Rogen asPumbaa, a good-humoredwarthog who befriends and adopts Simba after he runs away from home. He also becomes one of Simba's best friends. Rogen said, "[a]s an actor, I [...] don't think I'm right for every role—there are a lot of roles I don't think I'm right for even in movies I'm making—but Pumbaa was one I knew I could do well".[7] Favreau encouraged Rogen and Timon's Billy Eichner, who did their voice recordings together, to improvise a lot.[8] Rogen's casting would also mark the first time that Pumbaa was not played byErnie Sabella, who had reprised the role for every Disney project the character was involved in up to that point.
Chiwetel Ejiofor asScar, Mufasa's younger brother and rival who seizes the throne. Ejiofor described Scar as more "psychologically possessed" and "brutalized" than in the original film.[7] Ejiofor said that "especially with Scar, whether it's a vocal quality that allows for a certain confidence or a certain aggression, to always know that at the end of it you're playing somebody who has the capacity to turn everything on its head in a split second with outrageous acts of violence—that can completely change the temperature of a scene".[7] Ejiofor also said that "[Scar and Mufasa's] relationship is completely destroyed and brutalized by Scar's way of thinking. He's possessed with this disease of his own ego and his own want".[6] Favreau said of casting Ejiofor, "[He] is just a fantastic actor, who brings us a bit of the mid-Atlantic cadence and a new take on the character. He brings that feeling of a Shakespearean villain to bear because of his background as an actor. It's wonderful when you have somebody as experienced and seasoned as Chiwetel; he just breathes such wonderful life into this character."[1]
Alfre Woodard asSarabi, Mufasa's mate, Simba's mother, and the leader of the lioness hunting party.
Billy Eichner asTimon, a wise-crackingmeerkat who befriends and adopts a young Simba after he runs away from home. Eichner described Timon as "physically the smallest character, but he has one of the bigger personalities, and I love the combination of those two things. I kind of played into Timon, as I've done with many characters of mine, [the notion that] he might be small in stature but he has a huge sense of entitlement, which is always funny to play," and that "when Timon speaks and when he's quote-unquote 'being funny', he's very loud and boisterous, but [his] singing allows this vulnerable side, a slightly softer side, especially in 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' and other moments."[8] Eichner also talked about having "what some may consider a gay sensibility" that he brought to the table when he voiced Timon.[9]
John Kani asRafiki, a wisemandrill who serves as theshaman of the Pride Lands and a close friend of Mufasa's.[10] Likening his role to that of a grandfather, Kani said, "Rafiki reminds all of us of that special wise relative. His wisdom, humor and his loyalty to the Mufasa dynasty is what warms our hearts towards him. [He's] always happy and wisecracking jokes as lessons of life and survival."[1]
John Oliver asZazu, ahornbill who serves as themajordomo to the King of the Pride Lands. Speaking of his role, Oliver said, "I think Zazu is basically a bird who likes structure. He just wants things to be as they should be. I think there are British echoes there because we tend to favor structure in lieu of having an emotional reaction to anything."[1]
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter asNala, Simba's best friend and later his mate and Queen of the Pride Lands. According to Favreau, the character has a bigger role than in the original film.[11] Favreau felt that "part of [Beyoncé joining the film] is that she's got young kids, part of it is that it's a story that feels good for this phase of her life and her career, and she really likes the original very much. And then, of course, there are these wonderful musical numbers that she can be involved with, and my God... she really lives up to her reputation as far as the beauty of her voice and talent".[7][12]
Shahadi Wright Joseph as Nala as a cub. Joseph reprises her role from theBroadway production.[13] Joseph chose to work on the film because "Nala inspires little girls [...] She's a great role model".[7]
James Earl Jones asMufasa, Simba's father, King of the Pride Lands as the film begins. Jones reprises his role from the original 1994 animated film. According to Favreau, Jones' lines remain mostly the same from the original film.[7] Ejiofor said that "the comfort of [Jones reprising his role] is going to be very rewarding in taking [the audience] on this journey again. It's a once-in-a-generation vocal quality".[7][14] Favreau saw Jones' return as "carrying the legacy across" the original film and the remake, and felt that his voice's change in tonality compared to the original film "served the role well because he sounds like a king who's ruled for a long time".[15]
Florence Kasumba,Keegan-Michael Key, andEric André voiceShenzi, Kamari, and Azizi: The Matriarch of thespotted hyena clan and her two lieutenants who join forces with Scar in order to kill Mufasa. While Shenzi is a character that was featured in the original 1994 animated film, Kamari and Azizi are the respective names of new characters loosely based onBanzai andEd from the original film. The hyenas' characterizations were heavily altered from the original film's, as Favreau felt that they "had to change a lot" to fit the remake's realistic style, stating that "[a] lot of the stuff around them [in the original film] was very stylised".[16] Kasumba elaborated, declaring that "[t]hose hyenas were funny. These hyenas are dangerous."[1] Kasumba also voices Shenzi in the German dub of the film.[17]
In November, talking withComingSoon.net, Favreau said the virtual cinematography technology he used inThe Jungle Book would be used to a greater degree inThe Lion King.[21] Although some reports reportedThe Lion King would be a live-action film, it actually utilizes photorealistic computer-generated animation. Disney also did not initially describe it as live-action, only stating it would follow the "technologically groundbreaking" approach ofThe Jungle Book.[22] While the film acts as a remake of the 1994 animated film, Favreau was inspired by theBroadway adaptation of the film for certain aspects of the remake's plot, particularly Nala and Sarabi's roles.[23] Favreau also aimed to develop his own take on the original film's story with what he said was the spectacle of a BBC wildlife documentary.[24]
This serves as the final credit for film editorMark Livolsi, who died in September 2018.[25] The film is dedicated to him.[1]
Earlier in March 2017, it was announced thatBeyoncé Knowles-Carter was Favreau's top choice for the role ofNala and that the director and studio would be willing to do whatever it took to accommodate her busy schedule.[31] Later on November 1, 2017, her role was confirmed in an official announcement,[32][33] which also confirmed thatChiwetel Ejiofor would play the role ofScar, and announced thatEric André,Florence Kasumba, andKeegan-Michael Key would be the voices ofAzizi, Shenzi, and Kamari whileJD McCrary andShahadi Wright Joseph would be the voices of young Simba and young Nala, respectively.[34][35][36][37][38] In November 2018,Amy Sedaris was announced as having been cast in a role created for the film.[39] Director Jon Favreau stated that the film's predominantly black cast was a timely update that brought greater authenticity to the film's African inspirations.[40]
Visual effects
TheMoving Picture Company, the lead vendor onThe Jungle Book, provided the visual effects, which were supervised byRobert Legato, Elliot Newman, andAdam Valdez.[41] The film uses "virtual-reality tools", according to Legato.[42] Virtual Production Supervisor Girish Balakrishnan said on his professional website that the filmmakers usedmotion capture andVR/AR technologies.[43] According to Favreau, MPC worked together with tech firms Magnopus andUnity Technologies to build the film's technology platform using theUnity game engine.[44]
MPC was in charge of all the VFX shots for the film. There are 1,490 VFX shots.[45] The animals were designed from art and photo references. From that, the characters were built; all the rigging, shapes, textures, and furs were rendered step-by-step for further improvement. After that, the animation of the animals was crafted by hand, based on the reference clips. The movements, muscles, eyes, facial expressions, and the way the animals breathe was animated for more than 30 species. The environment was created entirely inCGI from reference materials such as high-definition photos of the African landscape. All the FX simulations—such as water, dirt and fire—were created by combining VR technology with cameras shots so that scenes could be digitally built within a VR-simulated environment.[24] New software developed for the movie made it possible to create scenes with the shaky-cam look of a handheld camera.[46]Sean Bailey, Disney's President of Production, said of the film's visual effects, "It's a new form of filmmaking. Historical definitions don't work. It uses some techniques that would traditionally be called animation, and other techniques that would traditionally be called live action. It is an evolution of the technology Jon [Favreau] used inJungle Book".[47]
Rather than have animators do everything, the team used artificial intelligence to allow virtual characters to behave in ways that mimicked real animals.[48] The sole non-animated shot in the entire film is the sunrise in the opening scene.[45][49]
Hans Zimmer, who composed the 1994 animated version, returned to compose the score for the remake withPharrell Williams as a collaborator.[50]Elton John also returned to rework his musical compositions from the original film before his retirement,[51] with Knowles-Carter assisting John in the reworking of the soundtrack.[52] John, the original film's lyricist,Tim Rice, and Knowles-Carter were also slated in 2018 to create a new song for the film.[53] However, the collaboration between Knowles-Carter and John did not pan out as the unreleased song was not added to the official soundtrack.[54] John and Rice also wrote a new song for the film's end credits, titled "Never Too Late" and performed by John.[55]
"Spirit", performed by Knowles-Carter and written by herself,Ilya Salmanzadeh, andLabrinth, was released on July 9, 2019, as the lead single from the soundtrack.[56] The film also features all the songs from the original film, a cover ofThe Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", and the song "He Lives in You" fromRhythm of the Pride Lands and the Broadway production.[55] The soundtrack, featuring Zimmer's score and John and Rice's songs, was released digitally on July 11, 2019, and physically on July 19, 2019.[55]
Knowles-Carter also produced and curated an album titledThe Lion King: The Gift, which features "Spirit", as well as songs inspired by the film. The album was released on July 19, 2019.[56]
Marketing
The first teaser trailer and the official teaser poster forThe Lion King debuted during theDallas Cowboys' annualThanksgiving Day game on November 22, 2018.[57][58] The trailer was viewed 224.6 million times in its first 24 hours, becoming the then 2nd-most-viewed trailer in that time period.[59] A special sneak peek featuringJohn Kani's voice asRafiki and a new poster were released during the91st Academy Awards on February 24, 2019.[60] On April 10, 2019, Disney released the official trailer featuring new footage which revealedScar,Zazu,Simba andNala (both as cubs and as adults),Sarabi,Rafiki,Timon and Pumbaa, and the hyenas.[61] The trailer was viewed 174 million times in its first 24 hours, which was revealed on Disney's Investor Day 2019 Webcast.[62] On May 30, 2019, 11 individual character posters were released.[63] A special sneak peek featuringBeyoncé Knowles-Carter's,Billy Eichner's, andSeth Rogen's voices asNala,Timon, and Pumbaa, respectively, was released on June 3, 2019.[64] A special sneak peek featuring Knowles-Carter andDonald Glover's voices asSimba andNala singing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and also featuringJames Earl Jones' voice asMufasa, was released on June 20, 2019.[65] On July 2, 2019, Disney released an extensive behind-the-scenes featurette detailing the various aspects of the film's production along with seven publicity stills featuring the voice actors facing their animal counterparts.[66] All-in-all, Disney spent around $145 million promoting the film.[67]
Novelization
A tie-in novelization of the film written by Elizabeth Rudnick was published byDisney Publishing Worldwide on June 4, 2019.[68]
Shot-for-shot claim
The trailers of the film led to a claim of its being ashot-for-shot remake of Disney's 1994 film. On December 23, 2018,Sean Bailey, Disney's President of Production, said that while the film will "revere and love those parts that the audience wants", there will be "things in the movie that are going to be new".[47] On April 18, 2019, Favreau stated that "some shots in the 1994 animated film are so iconic" he couldn't possibly change them, but "despite what the trailers suggest, this film is not just the same movie over again",[69] and later said "it's much longer than the original film. And part of what we're doing here is to (give it more dimension) not just visually but both story-wise and emotionally."[70]
On May 30, 2019, Favreau said that some of the humor and characterizations are being altered to be more consistent with the rest of the film,[71] and this remake is making some changes in certain scenes from the original film, as well as in its structure.[24] On June 14, 2019, Favreau said that, while the original film's main plot points would remain unchanged in the remake, the film would largely diverge from the original version, and hinted[clarification needed] that the Elephant Graveyard, the hyenas' lair in the original film, will be replaced by a new location.[16] The film is approximately 30 minutes longer than the original.[72] Despite Favreau's claims, upon release, the film was criticized by fans and critics alike for being nearly identical to the original, with many citing its overall lack of originality as a major flaw.[73]
Release
Theatrical
The Lion King premiered inHollywood on July 9, 2019.[74] The film had a European premiere in London on July 14 inLeicester Square, which included the first red carpet appearance ofPrince Harry together withMeghan, Duchess of Sussex. who attended in support of their charitable conservation work in Africa.[75][76] Prince Harry was reported as saying he "knew all the words" to the original film, and his attendance made headlines months later when it was suggested he had spoken to Disney CEOBob Iger about voice-over opportunities for his wife.[77][78] The film was theatrically released in the United States on July 19, 2019,[79] inIMAX and3D.[80][81] It is one of the first theatrical films to be released onDisney+, alongsideAladdin,Toy Story 4,Frozen II,Captain Marvel, andStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.[82] The film began its international rollout a week before its domestic release, starting with July 12 in China.[83]
The Lion King grossed $543.6million in the United States and Canada, and $1.113billion in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.657billion.[5] $63 million came from IMAX.[86]
Beginning on June 24, 2019 (which marked the 25th anniversary of the release of the original film), in its first 24 hours of pre-sales,The Lion King became the second-best pre-seller of 2019 onFandango in that frame (behindAvengers: Endgame), while Atom Tickets reported it was their best-ever first-day sales for a family film.[95] Three weeks prior to its release, industry tracking projected the film would gross $150–170 million in its domestic opening weekend.[96][97] By the week of its release, estimates had the film debuting to as much as $180 million from 4,725 theaters, beatingAvengers: Endgame's record of 4,662.[4] The film made $77.9 million on its first day, including $23 million from Thursday night previews.[98] It went on to debut to $191.8 million over the weekend, the highest opening total of the Disney reimaginings of animated films (beatingBeauty and the Beast's $174.8 million), a July release (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2's $169.2 million)[N 2] and Favreau's career (Iron Man 2's $128.1 million).[99][100] The film had a slightly higher-than-expected drop of 60% in its second weekend, but still topped the box office with $76.6 million.[101][102] It was dethroned by newcomerHobbs & Shaw in its third weekend but still grossed $38.5 million, crossing the $400 million mark in the process.[103][104] On August 21, it became the second animated film to have grossed $500 million at North America box office, afterIncredibles 2.[105] At the end of the film's box office run, it was thesecond highest-grossing film of 2019 in this region behindAvengers: Endgame.[106]
Other territories
The film was expected to gross around $450 million over its first 10 days of a global release, including $160–170 million from its worldwide opening weekend.[4] In China, where it released a week prior to the rest of the world, the film was projected to debut to $50–60 million.[83] It ended up opening to $54.2 million, besting the debuts of live-action remakesThe Jungle Book andBeauty and the Beast.[107] Over its first 8 days of global release, the film made a total of $751 million, including $351.8 million from overseas territories. This included $269.4 million from its opening weekend (sans China), with its largest countries being the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta ($20.8 million), France ($19.6 million), Mexico ($18.7 million), Brazil ($17.9 million), South Korea ($17.7 million), Australia ($17.1 million), and Russia ($16.7 million, second-largest ever in the country), as well as $6 million in the Netherlands, the best opening of a film ever in the country.[87] As of September 16, 2019, the film's top 10 largest markets were China ($120.4 million), the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta ($91.3 million), France ($79 million),[108] Brazil ($69.1 million, second-highest all time in the country), Japan ($60 million), Germany ($53.8 million), Mexico ($51.8 million), Russia ($47.3 million), Australia ($42.8 million), and Italy ($40 million).[109][110] The film became the first animated and musical film to gross $1 billion at overseas box office.
As of September 2019, the film became the highest-grossing film of all time in the Netherlands ($30.2 million), surpassing previous record held byTitanic ($28.5 million including re-release)[111] and South Africa (R107.6 million, $7.29 million), surpassingBlack Panther in local currency terms (in dollar terms, is still second-highest of all time).[112] Meanwhile, the film become the highest-grossing films of 2019 in many other countries and regions: Austria,[113] Belgium and Luxembourg,[114] Bulgaria,[115] France, Algeria, Monaco, Morocco and Tunisia,[116] Italy,[117] Lithuania,[118] Norway,[119] Portugal and Angola,[120] Russia,[121] Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia,[122] Sweden,[123] Switzerland,[124] and Spain.[125] It is also the highest-grossing foreign film of 2019 in Poland[126] In India, the film grossed $26.3 million, making it thefourth-highest-grossing Hollywood or foreign films of all time, highest-grossing animated film of all time (both local and foreign films), and one of top 50 highest-grossing films of all time in India.[127][128] In Europe, Middle East, and Africa, the film surpassedAvengers: Endgame to become the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time and highest-grossing film of 2019 across the region.[129]
Critical response
Thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes reported a critics' approval rating of 52% with an average rating of 6/10, based on 437 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "While it can take pride in its visual achievements,The Lion King is a by-the-numbers retelling that lacks the energy and heart that made the original so beloved — though for some fans that may just be enough."[130] It is the highest-grossing film with a "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 55 out of 100, based on 54 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[131] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale, and those atPostTrak gave the film a four out of five stars.[98]
Some critics praised the fidelity to the original, while others criticized it for its lack of originality.[132]Kenneth Turan at theLos Angeles Times called the film "polished, satisfying entertainment."[133] Todd McCarthy atThe Hollywood Reporter considered it to be inferior to the original, noting, "The film's aesthetic caution and predictability begin to wear down on the entire enterprise in the second half."[134] AtThe Guardian,Peter Bradshaw found the film "watchable and enjoyable. But I missed the simplicity and vividness of the original hand-drawn images."[135] Among the vocal performances, the roles of Eichner and Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa, respectively, received particular praise by critics,[136][137][138][139] withThe A.V. Club's A. A. Dowd proclaiming: "Ultimately, only Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, as slacker sidekicks Timon and Pumbaa, make much of an impression; their funny, possibly ad-libbed banter feels both fresh and true to the spirit of the characters — the perfect remake recipe."[140]
William Bibbiani ofTheWrap wrote in his review, "Jon Favreau's remake looks incredibly literal, but the digital animal performers lack the facial expressions and body movement to tell the story."[141] Sreeparna Sengupta ofThe Times of India praised the film, giving it a score of 3.5/5 and stating "For those who haven't seen the original, 'The Lion King' (2019) is certainly worth a watch for its gorgeous visuals and technical genius."[142] Helen O'Hara ofEmpire gave the film 3/5 stars, saying, "The great circle of life has thrown up a gorgeous, star-studded story, but trading feeling for realism means that we lose something of the original film's excellence."[143] Matt Zoller Seitz ofRogerEbert.com gave the film 3/4 stars, saying, "The worst thing you can say about this movie, and perhaps the highest compliment you can pay it, is to say it would be even more dazzling if it told a different story with different animals and the same technology and style — and maybe without songs, because you don't necessarily need them when you have images that sing."[144]Kevin Maher ofThe Times gave the film 4/5 stars, praising it as an improvement over the original, though he criticized the ending as "descend[ing] into a sprawling Avengers-style donnybrook with little dramatic resonance."[145] Edward Porter ofThe Sunday Times gave the film 3/5 stars, praising the visuals and performances, but criticizing the lack of expressiveness of the characters' faces.[146]
A. A. Dowd, writing forThe A.V. Club, summarized the film as such: "Joyless, artless, and maybe soulless, it transforms one of the most striking titles from the Mouse House vault into a very expensive, star-studdedDisneynature film." Dowd bemoaned the film's insistence on realism, commenting, "We're watching a hollow bastardization of a blockbuster, at once completely reliant on the audience's pre-established affection for its predecessor and strangely determined to jettison much of what made it special."[140] Scott Mendelson atForbes condemned the film as a "crushing disappointment": "At almost every turn, this redo undercuts its own melodrama by downplaying its own emotions."[136] David Ehrlich ofIndieWire panned the film, writing, "Unfolding like the world's longest and least convincingdeepfake, Jon Favreau's (almost) photorealistic remake ofThe Lion King is meant to represent the next step in Disney's circle of life. Instead, this soulless chimera of a film comes off as little more than a glorified tech demo from a greedy conglomerate — a well-rendered but creatively bankrupt self-portrait of a movie studio eating its own tail."[137]
Elton John, who worked onthe film's soundtrack, disowned the film and stated "The new version ofThe Lion King was a huge disappointment to me, because I believe they messed the music up. Music was so much a part of the original and the music in the current film didn't have the same impact. The magic and joy were lost."[147]
On September 29, 2020,Deadline Hollywood reported that a follow-up film was in development withBarry Jenkins attached to direct.[169] WhileThe Hollywood Reporter said the film would be a prequel about Mufasa during his formative years,Deadline said it would be a sequel centering on both Mufasa's origins and the events after the first film, similar toThe Godfather Part II. Jeff Nathanson, the screenwriter for the remake, has reportedly finished a draft.[170][171] In August 2021, it was reported thatAaron Pierre andKelvin Harrison Jr. had been cast as Mufasa and Scar respectively.[172] The film is not a remake ofThe Lion King II: Simba's Pride, the 1998 direct-to-video sequel to the original animated film.[173] In September 2022 at theD23 Expo, it was announced that the film would be titledMufasa: The Lion King and that it would follow the titular character's origin story. Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani reprised their roles as Pumbaa, Timon, and Rafiki, respectively. The film was released on December 20, 2024.[174]
References
Notes
^According to Disney, the film was not an anіmated fіlm but a live-action reboot.[91]
^"Queen & Slim lead Black Reel Awards".AwardsCircuit | Entertainment, Predictions, Reviews. December 12, 2019.Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. RetrievedDecember 15, 2019.
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