The Lion King: Director Jon Favreau says upcoming live-action film is not 'shot-for-shot remake'

One of Disney’s highest-grossing films,  The Lion King , was loved by the audience worldwide when it released in 1994. Now, Jon Favreau’s live-action remake about the lion prince Simba, who aspires to rule the Pride Lands like his father Mufasa is soon going to hit the theatres.

The film’s trailer that was released by the studio had was appreciated by most. But a section of the audience are of the view that the film is a shot-for-shot remake of the original.

In an interaction with USA Today , the director claimed otherwise. “The original holds up incredibly well. So the challenge here was to tell a story in a different way but still deliver on people’s expectations while surprising them somehow," said Favreau. He added that there were some sequences in the 1994 film that he just could not change.

According to IndieWire , Favreau has repeated the same VFX technology he previously used on Oscar winner The Jungle Book i_n The Lion King_.

The movie will feature the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Beyonce as Nala, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, John Oliver as Zazu, and James Earl Jones as Mufasa.

The Lion King is one of the many live-action remakes of Disney’s classics like Beauty and the Beast and the upcoming Aladdin. It is expected to release on 19 July.