Disney dropped its official trailer for the live-action remake of “The Lion King” on Wednesday.
Directed by Jon Favreau, “The new teaser opens up with Simba and Nala coming face to face with Scar and his pack of hyenas—giving Disney lovers an up-close look at the famous villain,” E! News writes.
The star-studded cast includes Donald Glover (Simba), Beyoncé (Nala), Billy Eichner (Timon), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), John Oliver (Zazu), James Earl Jones (Mufasa) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar).
While the film certainly seems poised to offer a few surprises, Disney President Sean Bailey recently confirmed in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter that the film is a hybrid, calling it a “a new form of filmmaking” that utilizes both live-action and animated elements.
“The Lion King is a revered and beloved movie, so you’d better revere and love those parts that the audience wants. But there are things in the movie that are going to be new. [And] it is a new form of filmmaking,” he explained. “Historical definitions don’t work. It uses some techniques that would traditionally be called animation, and other techniques that would traditionally be called live action. It is an evolution of the technology Jon used in Jungle Book.”
“The Lion King” hits theaters July 19.
