Glimpses of the immaculate reenactment of the Disney classic- The Lion King 1994 took the viewers by utter disbelieve after the release of its first teaser, which banged the internet. The Lion King 2019 is a live-action adaptation of the original animation where every scene and movement is transformed realistically.
Update: Added “The Lion King Official Trailer”- 10th April 2019
Lion King is truly roaring its way to enthrall the viewers this summer with the most enticing animation of the memorable story. The movie has been loved for years yet it never lost the interest. Though it has been remade many more times; however, this time, it’s going to be huge. Over 224 million fans have watched the trailer clip within 24 hours making a record of the most views ever calculated for a Disney release.
Lion Kings’ Animation- A Magnificent Trip to The African Savanna
Source: https://twitter.com/lionking2019?lang=en
Summer 2019 is going to welcome the incredible movie of all time “The Lion King” on the 25th anniversary of the original release. The movie is reenacted shot-by-shot without putting a slightest change in the story. Not only this the first trailer that was release earlier this year, showed the exact clip which the original movie’s trailer presented— the famous scene of Circle of Life. It is believed that the Disney production is using nostalgia meticulously to promote the new movie.
The animation is doubtlessly flawless. The movie shows a major transformation in the animation industry. From the color intensities to detailed strokes, from greenery to the roar of Simba, every corner indicates a huge shift and a flair of creativity.
The remake takes the viewers into the unseen world of African Savanna and tells the tale about the heart-warming story of Simba- the future king of the jungle.
The lush coloring of the grass to the emotive characters creates a magical aura around the viewers. If you squint your eyes, you will believe to be present in the forest watching the animals bow down to welcome the adorable newly born Simba. The expert animators have turned the whimsical cartoon into a super-realistic simulacrum; presenting characters like real-life animals while setting the bar higher for professionals at the video animation company.
The captivating teaser received a ton of appreciation. The reviews were both histrionic and swift. “The Internet Duly Freaked Out”, “The Internet has gone nuts”, and the best one was “The internet is awash with tears”, upon the release. From the very first scene, the viewers can sense the reminiscence of Disney’s original release. The shot-by-shot remake actually sets chills of excitement to watch the movie once again on the big screen. However, this time the story will be presented more realistically.
Source: https://twitter.com/hashtag/thelionking?lang=en
The Voice Behind the Fascinating Characters
In the wake of Lion King’s trailer, the fans were taken by surprise by not just one or two but by many factors that the extended one-minute teaser highlighted. The trailer, apart from depicting the brilliant work of producers and directors, presented a panel of renowned artists and celebrities as the voice actors of the movie.
The director Jon Favreau has featured a star-studded line-up to be the voice of the legendary characters. “It is a director’s dream to assemble a talented team like this to bring this classic story to life”, – Jon Favreau
Image Source: https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2017/11/disney-releases-lion-king-cast-poster
James Earl Jones was the voice actor of Mufasa- the most famous character in the original 1997 version, and he will be performing the same role in this new CGI version. Listening to his voice will undoubtedly be the most amazing moment for all the Lion King’s movie lovers.
Donald Glover is going to be the cute little Simba with a soft voice. Well, the success of Simba with Donald Glove’s voiceover seems pretty dubious to many viewers—whether he will be able to carry the graceful and energetic personality of the character or not.
Apart from the realistic animation of The Lion King, the news about casting Beyoncé for the dearest character of Nala’s—the love of Simba— steered a buzz in the entertainment industry. Where some are excited to hear her, many are showing outright disappointments on social media platforms.
John Kani’ tone and voice fit perfectly for the role of Rafiki. If you are a true Marvel fan, you must know him from the famous movie, Black Panther. With John Kani’s voice, the funny and crazy role of the legendary monkey is sure going to be ignited adding more excitement in the remake.
Seth Rogen- the all-time renowned comedian from the movie Neighbors and This is the End will be the voice actor for “Pumbaa”. This laugh and deep voice have created a legacy that will now look so appropriate for the funniest character of the movie.
The Lion King Remake 2019 Is Really A Live Action or Not?
By watching, the recently released teasers you must be wondering if it’s the real lion’s cub or are these animals are, in actual, bowing down to welcome the newly born king at the Pride Rock, during the Circle Of Life scene. Well much to your amuse, the Disney production has once again got away from creating an actual live-action movie the way it is considered to be. Yet they have set up a highest challenge for the creators with their immaculate depiction of reality in the movie.
Disney movies are entering into the blend of using animation with live-action. The production house released the movie Jungle Book to prepare the viewers to cherish a new form of making animated movies. In the movie, the jungle book no real animals were used let alone props or real sets.
However, the only real actor that appeared on the screen was Neel Sethi- the character of Mowgli. Mowgli performed the entire movie with computer-generated animals and scenes. Because of the animation quality and detailed creation of each feature and gesture, the movie was categorized as the live action film. Same is going to be seen in the upcoming movie The Lion King. There will be no real props or setting, but the animation will speak for itself.
Disney’s earlier release like the Cinderella in 2015 and the mega-hit movie- the Beauty and the Beast both showed the fine blend of animation with live action. But this time the techniques and animation quality will be seen with a much more advanced touch. For instance, Dumbo, the elephant will surely not be a real elephant but from its gestures to moves every area will be so flawlessly created that none of the viewers can guess if it’s real or not.
The Lack of Emotional Connection
If you are wondering why the exact story was reenacted in the remake 2019, the simple answer is that don’t fix a thing that ain’t broke. The Disney production though has shot scene-by-shot, but many think that the real emotional essence is missing out from the movie.
The teaser presented the most memorable scene of the Circle of Life, and in that one-minute teaser, you can find a number of places where the connection seems to be lost. For instance, the moment Rafiki held the cub high to show the animals, in the original version, the cute-little dangling eyes of baby Simba showed confusion, fear, and surprise.
However, in the CGI version, no such expressions can be seen. Though, the expressions and body languages of each character was the reason for amusement for every viewer. The cub, which is supposed to react naturally, cannot show all the aforementioned expressions.
The emotive animals welcoming the future king in unison will surely look inappropriate and weird when placed in a realistic framework in the CGI version. The 1994 movie has no striking hues or detailed depiction of motion graphics; nonetheless, the subtle use of expressions was the real essence that contributed in the making the movie the most loved one.
Wrapping Up
If you put aside the comparison and only focus on the exceptional artwork of the professionals, you will fall in love with the movie all over again. Without a doubt, The Lion King is the most surprising present for the 25th anniversary of the original 1997 film’s release. The movie clearly showcases the level of expertise reached in the animation industry and what measures you have to take to actually reach out to the top. For movie lovers, it may be a chance to get entertained once again, but for the learners, it’s a movie worth watching to seek guidance and to get inspired. So, it’s best to grab your tickets before you miss out the first show.