A closeup of the poster for the photorealistic remake of The Lion King.
The Lion King, crown jewel of Disney’s Renaissance of the Nineties, returns to the silver screen as a photorealistic live-action remake of the beloved Hamlet-inspired 1994 animated classic.
After directing the similarly photorealistic remake of The Jungle Book in 2016, director Jon Favreau was the obvious choice to handle the unenviable task of remaking such an iconic film.
In the African savannah, the young lion prince Simba (Donald Glover/Childish Gambino, Atlanta) flees his home after being tricked by his uncle, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave) into believing he caused the death of his father, the King Mustafa (James Earl Jones, who also voiced Mustafa in the original). However, once he comes of age, he must reclaim his identity and responsibilities as king.
A star-studded cast voice the film’s characters, with Seth Rogan (Knocked Up) and Billy Eichner (Difficult People) as the goofy Timon and Pumbaa, John Oliver as Zazu, John Kani (Black Panther) as Rafiki, Alfre Woodard (Mississippi Grind) as Sarabi and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala.
Elton John’s Academy-Award winning songs have been re-recorded for the remake, and Beyoncé has contributed an original song to the soundtrack.
The Lion King opens in theatres on July 19.
