YouTube channel YourMovieSucksDOTOrg has suggested that the 2019 reboot of The Lion King reused James Earl Jones's dialogue from the original 1994 film, despite the director saying otherwise. Jones reprised the role of Mufasa for the 2019 remake of the classic 1994 animated feature. The remake was directed by Jon Favreau and starred Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, and Seth Rogen alongside Jones.
Following remakes of other Disney animated classics like Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and Beauty and the Beast, 2019's The Lion King aimed to reimagine the beloved 1994 film in a more grounded, realistic style. Rather than depicting its Pride Lands in a cartoonish, animated style, Favreau's take on the Disney Renaissance classic reimagined the characters of Simba (Glover), Nala (Beyoncé), Timone (Eichner), Pumba (Rogen), and Scar (Ejiofor) with more realistic designs. Despite earning an impressive box office gross, the film was contentious among critics, though The Walt Disney Company is still going forward with a prequel helmed by Barry Jenkins. The Moonlight director's prequel will focus on the younger Mufasa and Scar, but one YouTuber has noticed something peculiar about the 2019 film's portrayal of Mufasa.
Posted on his secondary YMS Clips YouTube channel, YourMovieSucksDOTOrg shared a segment from his recent review of the 2019 remake in which he pointed out something interesting about the film's dialogue. In the video, the YouTuber compared the scene in which Mufasa tries to rescue Simba from the Wildebeast stampede to its 1994 counterpart. The YouTuber then cuts to a promotional interview from the film's release, in which Favreau discussed whether he reused older takes in the remake, saying he only used a small sample. The video then cuts back to further comparisons between each film's Mufasa dialogue that seems to confirm the audio was reused. Check out YourMovieSucksDOTOrg's comparison below. The video contains graphic language.
Click here to see YMS Clips' original video.
While 2019's The Lion King became one of the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time, a number of voices aired their criticisms of the film. Music icon Elton John, who helped compose the original film's music alongside lyricist Tim Rice and composer Hans Zimmer, revealed that he found himself disappointed with how the remake handled its soundtrack. In an interview promoting his memoir, John stated he felt that the movie's soundtrack didn't have the same grasp on audiences that the original film had, admitting that he'd wished that he had involvement in creating the 2019 film's score alongside Zimmer and Pharrell Williams.
Though The Lion King had already received criticism for its reimagining, YourMovieSucksDOTOrg's video is sure to make many more raise their eyebrows at the remake. While Favreau revealed that he used a small sample of the score to help amplify a scream, Jones's delivery sounds closer to his original performance, rather than his more recent performances as seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. With Jenkins teasing the prequel film's story and Aaron Pierre picking up the role of Mufasa from Jones, perhaps the film's follow-up may address the critiques of 2019's The Lion King and stand apart from its 1994 inspirations.
Source: YMS Clips