Walt Disney Studios dropped a new official trailer for Jon Favreau’s highly anticipated “live-action” reimagining of The Lion King, in theaters July 19. The spot offers nearly two minutes of footage which shows the breadth and diversity of CGI-rendered creatures populating an awe-inspiring savanna land, from the open plains to the rocky shadows where danger lurks. Favreau, who delivered the blockbuster Jungle Book revamp, has tapped MPC to handle the VFX and animation for this technological pioneer film.
While the trailer opens with a sinister monologue from Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Scar and then driven by powerful narration from James Earl Jones (Mufasa), the capper is a brief glimpse of beloved meerkat and warthog comedy duo Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) singing the first bars of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
Synopsis:
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 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.
