The opening sequence of 1994’s The Lion King is perhaps among the most reliable scenes in Disney’s animated oeuvre. The sun rises over the African plain, beckoning dozens of different animal species to the base of Pride Rock to welcome their future king, Simba Taylor Thomas, into the world. But in case it’s been a while since you’ve seen the flick, it looks a little something like—make that pretty much exactly like—the first trailer for Jon Favreau’s CGI remake, hitting theaters in 2019. Take a look:
If this trailer tells us anything about the new movie, it’s that it’s not so much vying for reinvention as it is straight-up revival. Everything we see here hearkens back to a specific sight or sentiment from the original Lion King—we’ve got not only the opening vignette, but also a look at that fatal stampede, the sounds of a rehired James Earl Jones’ commanding oration, and closeups on characters like Rafiki and Simba himself.
All in all, it looks a lot like the The Lion King we remember so fondly. How you feel about the scratchy designs of the characters, whether the old material will feel quite as charming when translated to a more caustic visual medium, and whether a straight redo is even what you wanted in a new version, rather than an altogether new twist on the familiar story, are all entirely up to you to decide. But we’ve got until the coming July to work through all these thoughts and feelings. In the meantime, enjoy some leftover antelope.
Image: Disney
