Fans of “The Lion King” were surprised and delighted with Disney’s unveiling of new character posters for the upcoming remake.
The film is set to release in July, 25 years after the original “The Lion King.” The remake is part of Disney’s quest to remake many of its hit animated films of the past as live-action modern remakes with computer graphics and 3D imagery.
— The Lion King (@disneylionking) May 30, 2019
Disney published new promotional posters for the movie on May 30. Trailers for the new movie have already been released, but the posters provide a more up-close look at the character artwork from a perspective not provided by the trailers.
The artwork reveals the details of the photorealistic aspect of the film’s characters. The movie is all computer generated, but the characters in the new film are designed to appear like the live animals they represent. This seemed to remove the softer look of the original animated movie, and fans had mixed reactions.
Disney Fan Reactions
On Disney’s Twitter account, fans commented about singer Beyonce’s inclusion in the movie as the voice of the adult version of the lion Nala.
“The Lion King” posters featuring Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé as Nala ???????? pic.twitter.com/YIrEH0TZ9P
— Rap-Up (@RapUp) May 30, 2019
“BEYONCE KNOWLES-CARTER IS NALA” pic.twitter.com/EnHQfqUFQl
— Luana (@aIvinegra) May 30, 2019
The look of the new Pumbaa also generated fierce debate on social media. Some think the new Pumbaa lacks the cuteness and charisma of the original 2D animated version.
I am Pumbaa pic.twitter.com/fxFgUWCXLI
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) May 30, 2019
“[B]ro just wondering why pumbaa looks like he’s ready to kill me behind a chillis,” tweeted @blankwaste, via Twitter.
“Oh man the character designs for the UNNECESSARY! Lion King Remake look HIDEOUS! Pumbaa especially looks TERRIFYING!” tweeted @HarryThomasPic.
“Remember how kind of adorable Pumbaa was in the original? Like he was kind of an idiot but a lovable one you just wanted to hug?” tweeted @NattyD13, comparing old Puma to new Pumbaa. “Now, imagine being face to face with this animal. You wouldn’t want to hug this. I know I don’t.”
Some fans see the new designs as taking away from the creativity and uniqueness of the characters in the original movie. Others recognized that a more realistic “The Lion King” movie would contain more realistic animals, and so were not surprised by the artistic choices.
Hello gorgeous. ???????? pic.twitter.com/J2TgsdacDo
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) May 30, 2019
The Disney Rennassaince
The original “The Lion King” movie is considered the height of the Disney Renaissance era. The era saw the return of Disney from an almost bankrupt studio to an animation powerhouse, according to research by The Jaunty Professor.
The era lasted from 1989 to 1999, with “The Lion King” coming in about the middle. After “The Lion King,” Disney revenues would start to decline, according to The Jaunty Professor.
Developments Disney made during the era led to the first all computer generated movie, using a technology the company developed called Computer Animation Post-Production System (C.A.P.S.), according to The Jaunty Professor’s research.
It was first used in a scene from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” revamping the traditional techniques of animation, according to The Jaunty Professor. Disney’s “The Rescuers Down Under” was the first movie completely made using the C.A.P.S. technology, and it would inspire later films to take up the technology.
Disney plans to add more movies to its remake schedule. Some of these movies, like “The Lion King,” are from the Disney Renaissance, while some are from an earlier era, like the “Dumbo” remake that was released earlier this year. “Aladdin,” another recent release, is also considered to be from the Disney Renaissance.
The new “Lion King” is scheduled for a July 19 release.
