Disney stunned the world in November last year when they
debuted the first teaser for Jon Favreau's highly-anticipated CGI/live-action remake of the 1994 animated classic,
The Lion King. Aside from that initial teaser, which
became the most-viewed Disney trailer debut ever, we haven't really seen much of the movie. That changed last night when Disney debuted a new trailer.
The new trailer is actually similar to the initial teaser in that it recreates the opening sequence of the original animated movie. It does so, though, in goosebump-inducing fashion. We're shown various breathtaking shots of the animal kingdom coming together to celebrate the birth of Simba. And it's all set to the iconic chant from "The Circle of Life."
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.
There's not much in terms of new footage shown, but it's a nice reminder of how gorgeous this movie is going to look. While the trailer essentially mirrors the opening sequence of the animated original, Disney has already assured that Favreau's version
won't be an exact shot-for-shot remake.
In addition to the TV spot, we've also got a new poster for the movie. It features Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Simba (Donald Glover) as the King is presumably giving the youngers the "Everything the light touches..." speech.
The Lion King is set to release on July 19, 2019.