Lion King Live Action Film Remake

[brdwybound04]

Posted: 3/31/17 at 1:19pm

With the recent ongoing success of Disney's Live action films- even more specifically Beauty & the Beast, it looks like the Lion King will be arriving in theatres next year for the holiday season. 

 

http://www.playbill.com/article/will-beyonce-star-in-lion-king-remake

Updated On: 3/31/17 at 01:19 PM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 3/31/17 at 1:42pm

It will not be live action, no matter how realistic it looks to some eyes. 

[willep]

Posted: 3/31/17 at 5:11pm

This remake was announced a while ago. Donald Glover is voicing Simba and James Earl Jones is reprising his Mufasa.

[degrassifan]

Posted: 3/31/17 at 5:14pm

It wouldn't come out next year during the holiday season. That's when Mary Poppins Returns will be released.

[kofler22]

Posted: 3/31/17 at 5:15pm

And apparently they're considering Beyonce for Nala. Will she sing Shadowland or wil they only use the movie songs and none from the stage show as with BB?

[willep]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 7:19am

Or will it go the Jungle Book route and not be a musical so much at all, since it is the same director?

[kofler22]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 9:24am

willep said: "Or will it go the Jungle Book route and not be a musical so much at all, since it is the same director?

 

If it's not a musical, why bothering casting Beyonce who's a horrible actress...get Viola Davis to provide the voice! 

 

[JennH]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 9:24am

That's the damn odd thing about this remake...a friend posted exactly what everyone was thinking about this "live action". I'd totally repost it here but that status is older and I have no wish to sit and find it. It's a live action remake using CGI...and still no "live actors"...so it's...a animation remake of a animated film...MY HEAD HURTS.  I will say I'm perfectly ok with King JEJ doing Mufasa again. 

[froote]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 9:48am

Donald Glover is one of the most talented humans on earth so I'm more than happy for this to go ahead with him in the lead.

[Dave28282]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 11:32am

It's an animated film remake of an animated film.

It's quite common to remake a film in the same format 20 years later. (Annie, IT, Nightmare on Elmstreet, etc). It's just for the first time they re-animate an animated classic.

I don't see anything wrong with it necessarily. Clearly this generation is not as inventive with original ideas as the previous one. And maybe 20 years is a good time frame to remake something with a new society view, new technology, new generation of directors, etc. The world changes drastically every 10 years. We might have 5 Lion Kings in 100 years.

But it is always unavoidable for the audiences to make constant comparisons. Which means that they watch it with the original in mind and not as a new film/story.

And I have to admit that, for example, the original Annie or IT have some very dated things, which actually make me look forward to the remake (I loved the Annie remake with Audra Mcdonald) and I'm looking forward to the IT remake. 

But in the case of the Lion King, a film that is close to perfect, timeless, glorious, still feels fresh and new, classic, I think it's unnecessary and just an attempt to milk some more money out of the original.

I think it's the bad films that need remakes first, like the Phantom of the Opera from 2004. Films that are actually easy to improve.

Updated On: 4/1/17 at 11:32 AM

[UrNotAMachine]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 11:39am

 Clearly this generation is not as inventive with original ideas as the previous one.

 

 It has nothing to do with how inventive this generation is (there are thousands of examples I could point to you that vouch for its creativity and passion.) It has everything to do with Disney figuring out the formula for printing money. It involves capitalizing on nostalgia for profit and it works unbelievably well.

[Dave28282]

Posted: 4/1/17 at 3:59pm

Yes, you are right. Maybe I should have said "the people at Disney" are less inventive. And yes, it's about capitalizing on nostalgia for profit, but I just would love to see some really good new classics (better than moana etc).

I take back the "generation" remark. Because indeed, most beautiful works came from Disney in other generations, while now they come from other sources.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 2:15am

I think it's interesting they went from a white actor playing Simba to a black actor. I don't think the voice of the actor matters? I mean they're playing lions... Beyonce seems to have a much more mature voice for Nala. But hey, it will sell tickets. 

[froote]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 2:31am

Who says they specifically looked for a black actor though? Donald can sing, act, has comedic timing, a strong fanbase and is already in the Disney good books as he's going to be in the Han Solo film.

Updated On: 4/2/17 at 02:31 AM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 1:11pm

" I don't think the voice of the actor matters?"

 

Matters a hell of a lot more than in a live action film. 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 1:15pm

Dave28282 said: "Yes, you are right. Maybe I should have said "the people at Disney" are less inventive. And yes, it's about capitalizing on nostalgia for profit, but I just would love to see some really good new classics (better than moana etc)."

In the past few years, we've had Big Hero 6, Inside Out, and Zootopia, which I think are every bit as good as the older Disney classics.

 

[Dave28282]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 4:58pm

Haha, good one.

Wait, are you serious? I'm confused.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 4/2/17 at 6:31pm

what the hell does "this generation" have to do with it?? are the executives at Disney from "this generation"????

[Dave28282]

Posted: 4/3/17 at 9:17am

Yes, the new generation in charge.