The New Lion King Teaser Mirrors the 1994 Animated Movie So Well
Apart from historical feats, steamy duets, major fashion inspo, and, you know, actual awards, the 2019 Oscars also gifted us with a generous dose of nostalgia in the form of a new teaser for Disney’s upcoming reboot of one of its most classic films, The Lion King.
Though it wasn't a full-length trailer, during Sunday’s ceremony, Disney unveiled a new clip from the upcoming movie, titled “Long Live the King.” There wasn’t much new footage, but the one-minute clip, set to the "Circle of Life," immediately took us back to 1994, with the instantly recognizable silhouette of Pride Rock reigning over the savanna’s horizon to open the scene.
As many noted, the breathtaking scenes in the new clip almost identically mirror those in the 1994 animated feature. In a full circle (of life) moment, we get to revisit the sunrise scene, with Rafiki performing a baptism-like ritual on Simba as a cub, with the iconic lift and a watchful animal kingdom bowing to its rightful (lion) king.
The live-action remake was first announced in April 2017. In November 2018, we got the long-awaited first look at the CGI-heavy production when the first teaser trailer was unveiled — breaking some serious records along the way by becoming the second most-watched trailer in history by any studio or company in one day. The rebooted film is slated to open in theaters in July 2019.
Though the new clip features a lot of the same imagery from that initial teaser, we did get a brand-new synopsis (in case you don’t already know how the story goes) in the official trailer description:
“Director Jon Favreau’s all-new The Lion King journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother — and former heir to the throne — has plans of his own,” the trailer description reads. “The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his. The all-star cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, and Billy Eichner as Timon. Utilizing pioneering filmmaking techniques to bring treasured characters to life in a whole new way, Disney’s The Lion King roars into theaters on July 19, 2019.”
Before The Lion King’s highly anticipated premiere in July, though, a few other Disney live-action reboots will come first. Dumbo hits theaters in March and Aladdin in May. If you’re yearning for even more nostalgia, a live-action Mulan is slated to land in theaters in March 2020.
Until then, if you need us, we’ll BRB... kinda busy reliving our childhood.
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