We loved director Jon Favreau’s reimagining of Disney’s classic The Jungle Book. Apparently Disney executives did too (it did take in close to $1 billion at the box office), as they are fast tracking a reimagining of The Lion King, and they have also tapped Favreau to return to the director’s chair.
There is no word yet on what this new version of The Lion King will look like, but if Favreau is back in action, one can assume that we will see the hyper-realistic CGI that was employed in The Jungle Book.
According to a press release from Disney: “The Lion King builds on Disney’s success of reimagining its classics for a contemporary audience with films like Maleficent, Cinderella, and the upcoming Beauty and the Beast.” Emma Watson, Dan Stephens, and Luke Evans star in Beauty and the Beast, which releases in March of 2017.
The Lion King is one of Disney’s best animated properties, with several sequels, TV spinoffs, and a hit Broadway musical all based on the story. The Lion King released in 1994, and was especially beloved for its soundtrack, which won two Academy Awards and two Grammy Awards. It essentially tells the story of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but with lions. Simba is the rightful heir to the throne of Pride Rock, but he is forced to flee when his evil uncle Scar steals the kingdom out from under him. In typical Disney fashion, Simba grows up, learns some valuable lessons, and returns to save the kingdom that Scar has run into ruin.
We do not know too many details about this upcoming version of The Lion King yet, but Favreau at the helm should be a good sign. A couple requests: “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” and James Earl Jones. We’ll have more details on the film as the become available.
Excited for this new version of the classic Disney story? Let us know in the comments below.
