The original “The Lion King,” which premiered in theaters in 1994, was a huge hit, grossing over $968.5 million at the box office. When Disney announced that it was creating a live-action remake this year, people were excited.
“The Lion King,” produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, was a childhood favorite for many. The soundtrack, vibrant visuals and soulful emotions in the movie touched many hearts across the globe. To be quite honest, I was skeptical when I heard about the remake, solely because the original was that good. How could Disney possibly top that?
Here's a side-by-side of 'The Lion King' trailer with the same scenes from the 1994 original movie. #TheLionKing pic.twitter.com/nHpKHWDzPJ
— Lights, Camera, Barstool (@LightsCameraPod) November 22, 2018
But I must mention the amazing cast in the movie, who had a lot to do with the new version’s success. In my opinion, Disney chose the perfect actors, as many of them have similar characteristics to the characters they played. Simba was the role for Donald Glover. I felt every emotion through the screen whenever he spoke. Simba doubted himself; he did not think that he would ever be as great as his father. You could hear the doubt in his voice. James Earl Jones was brought back from the original as Simba’s father, Mufasa. His deep voice is full of wisdom and soul that fit well in the movie. Scar, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, was the perfect choice for Scar, the sly character who had bad intentions throughout the movie, and Ejiofor captured that precisely.
Seth Rogen killed it as Pumba. He added a humorous light to the story line, which seemed necessary, because this version of the film is slightly darker than the original.
Beyoncé was cast as Nala, the strong lion who eventually marries Simba and becomes queen of pride rock. Fans were excited when it was announced that “Queen Bey” was voicing the character. Despite some skeptics, she executed the role without overpowering the character.
The computer graphics in this movie were crazy good. The designers and animators payed close attention to details when creating the film. As I was watching the movie, I had to question if they were played by real animals or not. When Mufasa gave his powerful roar at the beginning of the movie, he strongly resembled a real lion. The filmmakers were so dedicated that they traveled to Kenya to capture photos of real animals living in the wild. The quality of the animation greatly reflects the dedication put into the creation of the movie.
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Disney has a reputation when it comes to creating amazing, catchy soundtracks along with its movies. Songs like the “Circle of Life,” “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” and “Hakuna Matata” are just as important as the visuals in the movie. The use of the old soundtrack brought a sense of nostalgia to the movie that can’t be beat. Disney also collaborated with the cast of the movie to create new music, including songs by Beyoncé, Donald Glover, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner. Songs from “The Lion King” soundtrack are inching their way to the top of the charts.
Disney definitely nailed it with this movie. It is rumored that it is planning to create more live-action movies in the near future. I will be watching!
