Lion King Remake (Jon Favreau)

Agent Coulson · 18-02-2017 8:31pm #1

'Lion King' Remake Casts Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones as Mufasa

Director Jon Favreau announced the news on Twitter.

Donald Glover is going to be king.

The star has been cast in Disney's remake of The Lion King as Simba, with director Jon Favreau announcing the news on Twitter. Favreau also revealed James Earl Jones will reprise his role as Mufasa, the beloved father character he voiced in the 1994 animated original.

Favreau first met Glover at The Hollywood Reporter's conversation on creativity in December, where Favreau told Glover his son is a fan of the star's music, which he performs under the name Childish Gambino. ("By the way, full disclosure: I see your face every day when I wake up my 15-year-old son because on his door is a portrait of you," Favreau told the actor-musician.)

Favreau brought The Jungle Book to life last year, and though The Lion King won’t be live-action, it will look it. Favreau has plans to build upon his work on Jungle Book, which featured a human child actor and brought a jungle and its animals to life using cutting-edge technology and green screen.

Jeff Nathanson, a Steven Spielberg favorite, is writing the take on the animated classic, which is considered one of the pinnacles of Disney’s animated movies. In the original film, Jonathan Taylor Thomas voiced young Simba, while Matthew Broderick voiced the adult version of the character.

In addition to Simba, Glover is taking on another iconic role, playing Lando Calrissian in the young Han Solo Star Wars spinoff, which is currently filming. Jones, well known as a Star Wars veteran, reprised his voice work as Darth Vader in December's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

https://twitter.com/Jon_Favreau/status/832747544450998274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/Jon_Favreau/status/832754734557601792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

FortuneChip · 18-02-2017 10:26pm

A very surprising project.

It just seems like it's only a matter of time before a Toy Story remake is upon us.

I imagine Benedict Cumberbatch's agent is waiting by the phone for the imminent "Scar" call. Or Idris Elba.
Sasha Baron Cohen for Rafiki, obviously.

Timone & Pumba... Justin Timberlake & Adam Samberg.

Sorry, dunno why I'm trying to guess this.
Yeah, just find it weird this is happening.
Jungle Book seems more acceptable to me, probably because it's based on source material. The Lion King original IS the source, and it was perfect.

razorblunt · 18-02-2017 11:06pm

If they're casting Earl Jones, then they may as well go the whole hog (pardon the pun) and get Jeremy Irons in to play Scar.
They could have gone younger and used Idris Elba and Mark Strong if they went for a full revamp.

Frank O. Pinion · 19-02-2017 2:59pm

FortuneChip wrote: »

The Lion King original IS the source, and it was perfect.

Bah, "Kimba, The White Lion" is the source.

JP Liz V1 · 26-04-2017 3:35pm

Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner to voice Pumbaa and Timon

Agent Coulson · 03-08-2017 5:18pm

Chiwetel Ejiofor in talks to voice Scar.

El Duda · 03-08-2017 5:27pm

Brian Blessed to voice young Simba

Tipsy McSwagger · 03-08-2017 5:41pm

Davy Fitzgerald to voice old Simba

JP Liz V1 · 06-11-2017 12:45am

jaxxx wrote: »

To those who didn't know, they're making a live action remake to the 1994 classic. Well I say live action but it's literally all going to be CGI. TLK was one of my favourite films growing up and remains among the top on my favourite films of all time. That being said... I'm worried. Very worried. I was worried about Batman v Superman 2 years before it came out and my worries were largely proven right, perhaps even not enough. I'm even more worried about this. Spoilers for cast list and thoughts on same just in case anyone doesn't want to know.

Cast List:
Donald Glover as Simba
J.D. McCrary as young Simba
Beyoncnowles-Carter as Nala
Shahadi Wright Joseph as young Nala
James Earl Jones as Mufasa
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar
Alfre Woodard as Sarabi
John Oliver as Zazu
John Kani as Rafiki
Seth Rogen as Pumbaa
Billy Eichner as Timon
Eric Andre as Azizi
Florence Kasumba as Shenzi
Keegan-Michael Key as Kamari

You may notice (those of you fans of the original anyway) something odd near the bottom... or 2 things odd to be exact. "Azizi" and "Kamari". Both of these are hyenas. Now... are these simply name changes for Ed and Banzai or brand new hyenas, replacing Ed and Banzai? I don't know. Either way I'm very worried, and I'm not settled with Beyonce voicing Nala. Just don't know if her voice is soft enough..... I will keep an open mind as I did for BvS, but my gut proved right for that and it's more concerned for this..... It's nice seeing James Earl Jones reprise his role, his voice is iconic. When I heard Rogen was voicing Pumbaa, I immediately thought that that was a good decision.

Thoughts?

I thought they might try and get Irons back like Earl Jones

nix · 06-11-2017 2:43am

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

I thought they might try and get Irons back like Earl Jones

Yeah for sure, i like Chiwetel Ejiofor but would much preferred Irons reprising

Slydice · 22-11-2018 11:52pm

Ok.

Ok.

This looks good.

I mean.. as a teaser trailer. It's good as a teaser trailer!

*runs off to listen to music he can remember from childhood*

irish_stevo815 · 23-11-2018 12:05am

I have been patiently waiting for a look at this and have to say that trailer has given me child like excitement all over again.

I recently watched the original with my little fella a while back and it is by far the greatest animated movie ever.

Cannot wait to see it in live action.

Oh and James Earl Jones......chilling stuff hearing his voice

Slydice · 23-11-2018 12:15am

Jon Favreau has a poster up on his twitter:

https://twitter.com/Jon_Favreau/status/1065740162519318528

TomSweeney · 23-11-2018 1:30pm

Hollywood humanisation of animals ... f*ck off.
The eyes are still off, CGI can't do them ..

El Duda · 23-11-2018 2:00pm

My reaction to the Aladdin trailer was "What's the point?"

My reaction to this... It looks more promising than most of the live action remakes but if it is a frame by frame remake, what's the point?

CastorTroy · 23-11-2018 2:31pm

Yeah I saw it and thought Favreau had an easy job. Just give the animators the original and tell them to copy it

irish_stevo815 · 23-11-2018 3:21pm

El Duda wrote: »

My reaction to the Aladdin trailer was "What's the point?"

My reaction to this... It looks more promising than most of the live action remakes but if it is a frame by frame remake, what's the point?

Well if the story was drastically changed people would complain either way.

The story is the story so can't exactly be changed that much. It can be adapted slightly but the story as it is is great.

Also the point of these remakes is to give kids now the same experience as we had growing up with the originals

razorblunt · 23-11-2018 3:29pm

irish_stevo815 wrote: »

Well if the story was drastically changed people would complain either way.

The story is the story so can't exactly be changed that much. It can be adapted slightly but the story as it is is great.

Also the point of these remakes is to give kids now the same experience as we had growing up with the originals

But kids nowadays seeing it for the first time is the same as us going to see it for the first time?

pixelburp · 23-11-2018 7:07pm

Man, Disney are just determined to do live-action remakes of all their 90s back catalogue eh? I look forward to their Treasure Planet reboot (not 90s, but hush now)

I'm sure it has nothing to do with how those who grew up on those tales are now in that prime, nostalgia wallowing demographic. Nope.

nix · 23-11-2018 8:47pm

I'm assuming they are gonna cut the musical aspect of it out? Singing and dancing in that form will look daft i suspect. :pac:

Arcsurvivor · 23-11-2018 10:16pm

Looks good so far. At least James Earl Jones is returning.

TomSweeney · 23-11-2018 10:47pm

Arcsurvivor wrote: »

Looks good so far. At least James Earl Jones is returning.

Actually he did sound great

LGadd14 · 23-11-2018 11:11pm

nix wrote: »

I'm assuming they are gonna cut the musical aspect of it out? Singing and dancing in that form will look daft i suspect. :pac:

Tim Rice apparently confirmed a few months ago that Circle of Life, I Just Can't Wait to Be King, Hakuna Matata and Can You Feel the Love Tonight? are all going to feature in this version. Be Prepared won't unfortunately.

humanji · 24-11-2018 12:49am

pixelburp wrote: »

Man, Disney are just determined to do live-action remakes of all their 90s back catalogue eh? I look forward to their Treasure Planet reboot (not 90s, but hush now)

I'm sure it has nothing to do with how those who grew up on those tales are now in that prime, nostalgia wallowing demographic. Nope.

Is this even a live action remake? It's replacing one form of animation with another. Is anything about it live?

pixelburp · 24-11-2018 1:19am

humanji wrote: »

Is this even a live action remake? It's replacing one form of animation with another. Is anything about it live?

That's a fair point, given that beyond Mogli, nothing in Favreau's Jungle Book was 'real' outside a computer; but the intentional photorealism does make it closer to a live action production than a creatively, aesthetically animated one.

humanji · 24-11-2018 1:37am

Plus, when I watch it drunk, I'll probably not be able to notice.

johnny_ultimate · 24-11-2018 2:18am

A lot of the ‘live action’ (the term used loosely given how SFX-heavy even the ones with humans are, let alone this CG animation) Disney remakes risk being absolutely wasted opportunities. While we’ve yet to see most of them, indications are that they’ve hopelessly indebted to the animated originals. Sure, that’s Disney being Disney and spending billions to cement their own legacy, but just seems like a waste to ignore the potential for a different take on these classic stories. The remakes thus far give the sense of being commercially sensible but in many respects artistically hollow - but hey, that could sum up a whole lot of Hollywood!

Based on the teaser alone, I feel this is particularly at risk of complete redundancy. I primarily say that because it’s so dull to look at. This photorealistic CG is expensive and technically impressive, but that could be all it is - one can only hope that the expressiveness and vibrancy of the original (and indeed its theatrical version) carries over. Not a whole lot of evidence in the teaser that that’ll be the case with the finished product, and The Jungle Book sadly doesn’t offer a basis for optimism...

Sad Professor · 24-11-2018 2:41pm

I assume the potential for sequels and expanded universes is part of the motive behind these photorealistic remakes. Isn't Favreau already signed on for a sequel to The Jungle Book? There were sequels to their animated originals too, of course, but they were usually low budget, direct-to-video efforts.

Hazys · 25-11-2018 4:39am

https://twitter.com/LightsCameraPod/status/1065747231607795712?s=19

pixelburp · 10-04-2019 2:59pm

Another trailer has surfaced: I've cribbed about the renames already, but it looks utterly cold and sterile. The animals don't appear to have any expressiveness or emotion. Just looks like a tech demo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TavVZMewpY

FunLover18 · 10-04-2019 3:33pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Another trailer has surfaced: I've cribbed about the renames already, but it looks utterly cold and sterile. The animals don't appear to have any expressiveness or emotion. Just looks like a tech demo:

It's almost as if life-like animals can't emote the same way humans or cartoon animals can. Haven't watched the trailer yet but I just can't bring myself around to being excited about this.

pixelburp · 10-04-2019 3:38pm

FunLover18 wrote: »

It's almost as if life-like animals can't emote the same way humans or cartoon animals can. Haven't watched the trailer yet but I just can't bring myself around to being excited about this.

I wonder if somewhere in the pre-production offices, there's concept art of more ... cartoony designs, that allowed for greater expression in the 'cast', but got nixed by management in favour of more digital verisimilitude.

GavRedKing · 10-04-2019 3:50pm

It will be a huge movie and play on the nostalgia of the first but I can see this being a really poor film.

It will stay make Disney massive, massive amounts of money though and thats all that really matters.

johnny_ultimate · 10-04-2019 4:27pm

It's The Lion King, but looking like it's zapped of all the vibrancy and energy of the original.

I mean, Aladdin looks pretty awful in its own way, but it at least is full of colour based on the trailers so far. The more subdued colour palette of this makes it look infinitely blander than the film it is based on.

El Duda · 10-04-2019 4:37pm

I hope all these Lions get poached, Cecil style.

icdg · 13-04-2019 10:54am

Seems to be fairly near to a “shot-for-shot” (er, in so far as animation has shots, should I say frame-for-frame!) remake of the original. Which is slightly pointless.

Agent Coulson · 27-06-2019 5:12pm

Disney will be raking in more money.

This expected to have a recording breaking July opening weekend touching €170m mark.

jaxxx · 09-07-2019 11:06pm

This is going to be sh*t. Will make a bucket ton of $$$ alright, but it's gonna just be pure crap compared to the original. Apart from the two lads cast as Timon and Pumbaa, and the return of Jones as Mufasa, everyone else's voices are just bad. Beyonce as Nala is alright, but the rest are horrid. Scar sounds about as menacing and conniving as a bunny rabbit, and Rafiki sounds about as wise as Trump and flat as f*ck. Not in the video below, but the scene where he says "he lives in you", omg it makes me wanna slice my ears off. The original was one of my favourite movies as a kid, still is to this day, despite the controversy with Kimba. Irons wasn't even asked to reprise his role as Scar you know, he says he would have loved to do it but wasn't asked.

First time I heard Glover as Simba, 0:44. Just no..... Then again at 0:52. Ugh..... No way in hell am I throwing a single cent at this. I'll wait till its available next year on Sky.

TheIrishGrover · 10-07-2019 11:23am

Well, I think the whole idea is pointless... Actually, it has ONE point: To make as much money as possible. For me, The Lion King is Disney's crowning glory (No pun intended). It was them operating at their peak.

I also wish they would stop calling it "Live action". Ask one of the many MANY animators and effects artists how "Live Action" it is. It is another form of animation.

Initially I thought the casting was spot on but, having hears Scar in another trailer, I agree. I don't find him menacing at all. I was stoked when I heard about Glover doing adult Simba but that clip did seem quite flat (I agree, Beyonce and Jones sounded good). It may be taken out of context (Behind-the-scenes footage delivery always sounds flat).

The one thing I have noticed is that there is VERY little footage of them actually speaking. You can hear them and maybe get a word of footage but it is a bit of a worry: How do you make photo-realistic animals speak without their mouth movements becoming distracting. I know Babe did it years ago but it remains to be seen if it will be a distraction with this.

Maybe I'm just a bit precious about The Lion King - it is my favourite. I have no problem with them doing things like Mulan (Which could be very good). What's next? The Little Mermaid?...... Oh.

It is unfortunate that Disney has decided to go down this path as opposed to creating new and interesting animation. Now is the time when Disney could experiment. People are more open to trying new animation than ever before. Previously if a "cartoon" wasn't Disney it just died a death. Now, as well as the farmed-out Dreamworks tosh like "Boss Baby" and the like, you have people watching the stunning "Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse" movie. You have "Your Name" hitting mainstream cinemas. Non-nerds (:) ) have even heard of Miyazaki or at least know Totoro or Spirited Away or Mononoke. You have the heartbreakingly beautiful "Song of The Sea" made right here at home.

Disney need to dig something out of their archives that was abandoned for being too out there and do it. A whole new animated Disney movie like nothing we have seen before. Not Pixar - Disney! What's the worst thatcould happen? They have all the money in the world and own every movie property out there. I think I heard that in 2021 or something 60% - 75% of ticket sales are predicted to be for Disney-owned properties

branie2 · 10-07-2019 11:39am

Disney are doing a lot of remakes

FunLover18 · 10-07-2019 11:43am

The social media embargo has lifted so their are some "reviews" on Twitter. They all seem to agree that the animation is amazing but that animals not being able to emote the same way humans can is a problem (I don't know how they'll get around Zazu speaking given that beaks just don't move that way). Very few though are focusing on the story though so still unclear how much of a frame for frame remake it is. My prediction is that the animation will be something else and it will dominate the conversation but this won't have near the cultural impact as the original.

johnny_ultimate · 10-07-2019 12:18pm

The photorealistic animation breaks my heart. All respect to the undeniably talented artists who’ve put countless hours into this. But the shift away from expressive, colourful animation to photo realism to me is a bleak symbol of the direction mainstream blockbusters have gone.

El Duda · 10-07-2019 1:05pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

The photorealistic animation breaks my heart. All respect to the undeniably talented artists who’ve put countless hours into this. But the shift away from expressive, colourful animation to photo realism to me is a bleak symbol of the direction mainstream blockbusters have gone.

Hook up Spider-Verse to your veins! You'll feel better in no time.

TheIrishGrover · 10-07-2019 1:29pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

The photorealistic animation breaks my heart. All respect to the undeniably talented artists who’ve put countless hours into this. But the shift away from expressive, colourful animation to photo realism to me is a bleak symbol of the direction mainstream blockbusters have gone.

Yeah, this is exactly my point. The quality of the animation seems to be stunning. Nobody is questioning the technical prowess of the movie but these days I think people would be much more open to different animation types. We have Frozen 2 coming out which, no doubt, will look very pretty, Moana, Zootopia,Frozen 1 also looked very very pretty. But, c'mon Disney. Go crazy. Don't make another safe fairytale movie. Go nuts! Studios can do both: Look at Ghibli: The Wind Rises AND The Tale of Princess Kaguya both released the same year with WILDLY different animation styles. Look behind the sofa for a spare 100 million, give it to Tiaka Waititi and say "OK. We'll be back in 3 years. Do whatever....."

kerplun k · 10-07-2019 3:04pm

Me: SIGH, yet another unnecessary Disney remake that prays on peoples nostalgia.

Disney: oh, I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over all that money.

El Duda · 10-07-2019 4:24pm

I don't really have a problem with these remakes in principle. Some of them have added little updates and done a decent job.

My problem is the way they churn them out on a conveyor belt like there's no tomorrow. Make a few remakes, coin in the profit, then have a break use that money to fund some original projects. If the originals flop hard, fall back to making another remake.

But at least TRY and vary up your product from year to year.

pixelburp · 10-07-2019 4:55pm

kerplun k wrote: »

Me: SIGH, yet another unnecessary Disney remake that prays on peoples nostalgia.

Disney: oh, I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over all that money.

I wouldn't mind so much if these remakes got middling, respectable box-office takings. But these redundancies keep making INSANE money, I don't get it. Well, I do, but don't at the same time.

kerplun k · 11-07-2019 9:09am

pixelburp wrote: »

I wouldn't mind so much if these remakes got middling, respectable box-office takings. But these redundancies keep making INSANE money, I don't get it. Well, I do, but don't at the same time.

Yep, me neither. One guess is that Disney have really cracked the promotional and marketing for their films. They are getting so good at hyping their movies. They don't always land, à la Solo, but more times than not they really nail it.

pixelburp · 11-07-2019 5:21pm

kerplun k wrote: »

Yep, me neither. One guess is that Disney have really cracked the promotional and marketing for their films. They are getting so good at hyping their movies. They don't always land, à la Solo, but more times than not they really nail it.

Holy crap, you know I thought I was imagining it, but these films really ARE on a conveyor belt. The US release dates:

Dumbo: March 29, 2019
Aladdin: May 24, 2019
Lion King: July 19, 2019

That's a remake every 2 months; obviously people are going to these things, but Disney aren't even trying to disguise how industrialised their nostalgia gouging has become.

Always Tired · 11-07-2019 5:25pm

pixelburp wrote: »

Holy crap, you know I thought I was imagining it, but these films really ARE on a conveyor belt. The US release dates:

Dumbo: March 29, 2019
Aladdin: May 24, 2019
Lion King: July 19, 2019

That's a remake every 2 months; obviously people are going to these things, but Disney aren't even trying to disguise how industrialised their nostalgia gouging has become.

It's true but it works. The Lion King was my sisters favorite film as a child and now we'll definitely be taking her daughter to the remake. But I don't think the remakes will ever have th classic status as the originals, the artwork in The Lion King was phenomenal. You can really tell they studied how the animals move and the performances by the voice actors were amazing too.

FunLover18 · 11-07-2019 5:39pm

Someone on Twitter did a side by side comparison of Hakuna Matata and i just don't understand how anyone would prefer the new version. It's so much less vibrant and fun.

https://twitter.com/cartoonbrew/status/1149108647676522497?s=19

Lion King Remake (Jon Favreau)

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