New The Lion King character posters have been released along with a new TV spot, and they reveal the best look at Timon, Pumbaa and other characters so far. The world has been patiently waiting for the premiere of Disney's latest remake of their classically animated movie, and now fans can finally see what some of their favourite characters will look like in this new era of 3D animation and CGI.
The Lion King brings the 1994 classic, from what's referred to as the Disney Renaissance, to the 21st century. The Disney Renaissance refers to the era that some fans consider to be Disney's best, spanning the ten year period from 1989-1999. Going with a more realistic approach, and in a fashion that screams modernity, Disney has opted to use photo-realistic animation to recreate the characters, so that they look as real as possible. The new film was directed by Jon Favreau, and includes an all-star cast, with Donald Glover (also known by his stage name Childish Gambino) as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, and John Oliver as Zazu, to name a few.
Fans can now get a glimpse of their anthropomorphic animal friends in a new TV spot released today by Walt Disney Studios, along with photos of the rest of the cast. The character posters show what each character looks like in their new 3D form, and how Disney's animation team was able to transform the characters into realistic looking animals, while still making them recognizable to fans of the original. Take a look at the TV spot and posters below.
The TV spot recreates a classic scene from the 1994 original, with Rafiki (John Kani) holding a young Simba in the air, with a red mixture smeared across his forehead. As in the original, the iconic "Ah Zabenya" song can be heard as Rafiki lifts Simba into the air, showing off the newborn king to the rest of the animals of the African savanna. Mufasa's (James Earl Jones) voice can be heard giving his son important advice, which signals back to the original plot: "You must remember who you are, the one true king."
The Lion King remake hasn't even come out yet, and already some are predicting it will be Disney's biggest film of the year. While their other classic live-action remake of Aladdin has met with mixed reviews from critics and responses from fans, The Lion King is expected to do much better, especially at the box office. Criticism surrounding the film suggests that the remake doesn't exactly offer anything new, besides visually. In terms of story, the direction seems to be aiming in the way of authenticity. Disney has been surprising fans lately by weaving social commentary into some of their other remakes, so one will have to wait and see if they decide to switch things up or not.
The Lion King is one of Disney's most beloved films, with a host of fans from different age groups, so the remake will be an event kids and adults can both enjoy. With the premiere date quickly approaching, original and new fans alike will get to see the classic tale transformed worldwide. And based on how the new TV spot and character posters look, it doesn't seem likely that Disney's new The Lion King film will disappoint.
Source: Walt Disney Studios
