What a royal treat.
Disney has released a new trailer for the highly anticipated update of “The Lion King.”
“Life’s not fair, is it, my little friend? While some are born to feast, others spend their lives in the dark ... begging for scraps,” the trailer ominously begins.
“Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give,” says Mufasa, voiced by James Earl Jones, reprising the role he originated in the 1994 film. “You must take your place in the Circle of Life.”
The trailer, which features stunning CGI and fantastic imagery, teases at the well-known story of Simba, the lion cub who is tricked into thinking he’s responsible for the death of his father, King Mufasa, even though Mufasa’s brother, Scar, is the one behind it in a bid to take the throne for himself.
Simba is sent into exile, where he makes new friends. But after being visited by his father’s ghost, he elects to return and heed the words of Mufasa by taking his place in the Circle of Life as king.
The film is directed by Jon Favreau, who’s been down the road of updating beloved films before with “The Jungle Book.”
The movie also features a who’s who of A-listers lending their voices. In addition to Jones, the cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, as well as Beyonce, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, Alfre Woodard, Keegan-Michael Key and John Oliver.
“The Lion King,” which opens July 19, has been in the works for a long time, with Disney stoking the flames as early as 2017 when it boasted about the roster of talent attached to the project.