Avengers: Endgame isn’t the only Disney tentpole hoping to tug at your heartstrings; Jon Favreau’s The Lion King is also shaping up to be a deeply emotional blockbuster.
The cutting-edge visuals certainly help, as the VFX team has somehow managed to harness the nostalgia of Disney’s original classic from 1994 all the while introducing state-of-the-art effects to effectively carry Simba and Co. into the 21st century. It’s a remarkable feat, and it’s one that reduced Seth Rogen to tears.
As part of Entertainment Weekly’s Lion King cover story, the actor, who plays Pumbaa in the summer tentpole, recalled the moment when Jon Favreau screened footage from The Lion King for the very first time. And, well, it seems Rogen watched said footage through misty eyes.
I once heard it referred to as the crown jewel of the Disney movies, and for me at least, it’s for sure the one that hit me the hardest, that taught me the most lessons about life and death and many things in between. Whenever Jon has shown me [footage], I weep uncontrollably because it does just hit a raw nerve in some ways and taps directly into these feelings from my childhood, but updates them with a scope that is heavily impactful to me as an adult.
The question, really, is whether The Lion King will resonate with a new audience (i.e. Millennials) in three months’ time. Many expect Jon Favreau’s lavish spectacle to light up the box office on the power of nostalgia, and Seth Rogen’s tearful reaction is living proof that ’90s kids will be rushing to see it on the big screen without a second’s hesitation. But will the same be said about younger viewers? We’ll find out soon.
The Lion King roars to life on July 18th.
