Disney has released the new trailer for the Lion King. This is the “live action” version, directed by Jon Favreau, who also directed the recent live action version of the Jungle Book, among many other films and television shows.
This version of the Lion King comes out on July 19, 2019.
Here’s the trailer:
This year is the 25th anniversary of the original Lion King animated classic film. This new trailer has me really excited about this new version. It looks really beautiful, and while I love the classic animated version, I think this version will attract a whole new generation of fans. The animals and the visuals look stunning.
Incredible Cast
The voice cast features Donald Glover as Simba, Beyonce as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa (reprising his role), Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, John Kani as Rafiki, Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, John Oliver as Zazu, and Keegan-Michael Key as Kamari. What a great cast!
If you haven’t see the previous Lion King teaser trailer that was released a few months ago, check it out:
Gives me chills, I swear. Looks so good. And how cute is baby Simba? I know they are calling this Live Action, and I realize that’s a misnomer–it has to be mostly CGI, right? But my goodness, looking at the teaser trailer and the official trailer…every thing looks really good.
Of course, maybe it will be different 40 feet tall, who knows. But this is Disney and I have a lot of faith.
Disappointing Dumbo?
The Lion King will be the third “live action” remake released this year by Disney. Dumbo opened March 29, 2019, and Aladdin will open May 24, 2019. (Click here if you’d like to see the Aladdin trailers that have been released so far).
Dumbo’s opening weekend box office was softer than Disney had anticipated. While Dumbo was the top film of the weekend, it grossed $45 million in the US, falling short of the conservative $50 million projections. Worldwide, it grossed $116 million during it’s opening weekend. While this is a TON of money, this is the lowest opening weekend of any Disney “re-imaginings” of their classic animated feature films. Both Beauty and the Beast and the Jungle Book earned more than $100 million in the US during their opening weekend.
Does this mean that audiences aren’t that interested in remakes anymore? I don’t think so. I think Dumbo was at a disadvantage from the beginning. Dumbo is a much less famous character than many of the other characters that Disney has featured in recent remakes. Dumbo’s original animated film was released in 1941, and while it is a classic, I don’t think it’s ever had the same kind of watch over and over again as many of the other films. As a child, Dumbo made me very sad. Yes, it ends up happy, but overall, I think it’s a much sadder film–Dumbo is a much sadder character than many other beloved characters. He has his fans, certainly, but I don’t think he has quite the universal appeal of, for example, Cinderella (or her mice!).
Reviews haven’t been terrific for Dumbo, either. While that doesn’t necessarily have a major impact on family audiences outright, rave reviews can often get people more excited to see a movie, and that just hasn’t been the case.
Frank and I normally see any new Disney movie the first weekend it opens, but we have not seen Dumbo yet. I just can’t get excited about it. I will eventually see it…most likely.
Bottom line: I don’t think Dumbo’s less than stellar box office is an indicator that fans are NOT excited about Disney’s re-imaginings or re-makes. As long as the films look good, and the trailers make us want to see the films, I think Disney fans young and old will continue to flock to the theaters. I’m MUCH more excited about Lion King and Aladdin than I was about Dumbo. Maybe I’m alone on this ledge, but I don’t think so.
Will You See The Lion King?
What do you all think? Are you excited to see the new version of the Lion King?
Have you been to Animal Kingdom yet this year? Have you seen any of the Lion King 25th Anniversary celebration happening at Animal Kingdom? I think it will be interesting to see what Disney does at the parks as the release of Lion King gets closer.
If you’re planning to see this version of the Lion King, please click Like below. Leave a comment letting me know what you think about the new trailer. Share your thoughts about Dumbo if you saw it, too!
Happy dreaming!
Brooke
