Disney broke the internet on Thanksgiving with the world premiere of the teaser trailer for Jon Favreau’s “The Lion King.” The clip has already earned over 10 million views on YouTube in less than 24 hours for giving audiences a first look at Simba, Pride Rock, Rafiki, and more, all rendered in the same jaw-dropping CGI Favreau used on his 2016 “Jungle Book” adaptation.
As many fans quickly noticed, the first “Lion King” teaser is essentially a shot-for-shot remake of the opening sequence from Disney’s original 1994 animated film, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. The Twitter account for the “Lights, Camera, Pod” podcast has released a comparison video putting Favreau’s “live action” footage next to the animated shots. The side-by-side video has earned over 3 million views and counting on Twitter alone, and it proves just how lifelike the CGI is that’s being used on the new “Lion King.”
Favreau’s “The Lion King” features a star-studded voice cast, including Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala. Supporting roles are played by the likes of Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, John Oliver, Keegan-Michael Key, Eric Andre, Alfre Woodard, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and James Earl Jones, who reprises the role of Mufasa from the 1994 original.
“The Lion King” is one of three Disney releases next year reimagining some of the studio’s most beloved animated offerings. Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” opens in theaters March 29, while Guy Ritchie’s “Aladdin” hits theaters May 24. “The Lion King” is Favreau’s first release since his live-action “The Jungle Book,” which grossed $966 million worldwide and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Disney is set to release “The Lion King” nationwide July 19. Watch the side-by-side comparison video below.
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, Pod (@LightsCameraPod) November 22, 2018
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