Mufasa. Image: Disney
As early as September last year, it has already been announced that a remake of Disney’s classic “The Lion King” is on its way. But attendees of the recently concluded “D23: The Official Disney Fan Club Expo” in Anaheim, California did not expect what was presented to them: an exclusive video clip of the upcoming movie.
Image: Twitter/@GermainLussier
According to Hollywood Reporter, the clip featured several photo-realistic shots of African landscapes and the animals that inhabit them. The clip then caps off with the iconic scene of Rafiki raising a baby Simba atop Pride Rock as “Circle of Life” plays in the background.
Image: Disney
Jon Favreau, who worked on the live-action remake of “The Jungle Book”, is helming the project. He’ll also be working with visual effects (VFX) expert Rob Legato to apply the same virtual reality production techniques that was used to make “The Jungle Book”.
For the voice cast, James Earl Jones returns as Mufasa, while Donald Glover will be taking over the role of Simba. Timon, Pumbaa and Zazu will be voiced by Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen and John Oliver, respectively.
“The Lion King” live-action remake is scheduled for release on July 19, 2019. Alfred Bayle/JB