Disney has just released the first full length trailer for Jon Favreau’s upcoming live-action “Lion King” adaptation and it’s a thing of pride!
The new clip, featuring amazingly realistic footage of the African savannah filled with giraffes, antelopes, and zebras, begins with Simba getting some advice from his wicked uncle Scar.
Get your first look at the entire trailer below:
“Life’s not fair is it, my little friend?” Scar asks a timid Simba. “While some are born to feast, others spend their lives in the dark, begging for scraps.”
Mufasa then offers some sage wisdom, telling Simba: “You must take your place in the circle of life.”
“Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance,” Mufasa says. “While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give.”
The trailer also features the first, albeit brief, taste of a musical number. The clip ends with Timbon and Pumbaa singing “A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh, a-weema-weh” from “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
Donald Glover leads the cast as young Lion Simba who loses his dad, while Beyonce — who is credited in the trailer with her last name, Knowles — voices Nala, a childhood friend and later love interest to Simba. The cast includes James Earl Jones reprising his role from the 1994 animated film as Simba’s father Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Simba’s villainous uncle Scar, Alfre Woodard as Simba’s mother Sarabi, with child actor JD McCrary playing the young version of Simba. Shahadi Wright Joseph is voicing the young Nala, while John Kani voices the baboon Rafiki and John Oliver playing Mufasa’s confidant, the hornbill Zazu.
The Lion King is just one of several remakes Disney has on the docket, including Lady in the Tramp for its Disney+ streaming service and Tim Burton’s Dumbo, which bows March 29, 2019. Favreau previously had huge success with his remake of The Jungle Book, which grossed $966 million globally.
The original Lion King grossed more than $968 million worldwide and featured memorable songs from Elton John and Tim Rice. Favreau’s Lion King is set to open July 19, 2019.