Disney’s divisive approach of remaking all their most cherished animated films as live-action flicks sees the studio working in some seriously nostalgic territory, and with this new reimagining of The Lion King, they could be making their boldest double-dip of our childhood memories to date. So when the first trailer to Jon Favreau’s next film dropped, it was only natural that it would hit many a longtime Disney fan right in the feels.
In its combination of vibrant cinematography, richly textured CGI, and of course, some familiar music cues, it seems that this trailer hit all the right notes to get viewers emotional and misty-eyed, with fans taking to Twitter to show their sentimental side:
https://twitter.com/john_o96/status/1065739221539926017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1065739221539926017&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2F2018%2F11%2F22%2Fthe-lion-king-teaser-trailer-fan-reactions-live-action%2F
Whew Lion King trailer got me in my feelings gotta be real with you pic.twitter.com/BRhmpVSxcs
— TaReef KnockOut (@TaReefKnockOut) November 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/yelyahwilliams/status/1065735960175001600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1065735960175001600&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2F2018%2F11%2F22%2Fthe-lion-king-teaser-trailer-fan-reactions-live-action%2F
https://twitter.com/ElijahStevens58/status/1065735207221891073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1065735207221891073&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2F2018%2F11%2F22%2Fthe-lion-king-teaser-trailer-fan-reactions-live-action%2F
WHEW I GOT CHILLS, IM READY TO GET MY LION KING TICKETS! pic.twitter.com/nInGRi5LDZ
— brandon (@imnotsharpie) November 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/MissFit_/status/1065735102368485376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1065735102368485376&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fmovies%2F2018%2F11%2F22%2Fthe-lion-king-teaser-trailer-fan-reactions-live-action%2F
Am I excited for The Lion King live action movie after seeing that trailer? pic.twitter.com/6vFbU79YkK
— cory (@coryiams) November 22, 2018
Me: Ugh! So, Disney is gonna make a CGI remake of the animated Lion King. That's so dumb.
*sees the teaser trailer*
Also Me: NANTS INGONYAMA BAGITHI BABA…IT'S THE CIRCLE OF LIFEEEEEEEE…#TheLionKing pic.twitter.com/tyVlytyhLv
— ferdosa (@atomicwick) November 22, 2018
Nonetheless, some viewers are staying skeptical of the project, or at least arguing that the trailer isn’t as glorious as people are making it out to be:
Just saw a trailer for the live action Lion King and all I gotta say is if it ain’t as good as the cartoon I’m boycotting Disney…..straight up 🤷🏾♂️
— Pipe Tyson (@uglyboynation) November 22, 2018
If you think that #TheLionKing teaser is incredible, wait until you see Planet Earth, Planet Earth II, or literally any other documentary about Africa
— VVO)))LFMAN (@TheWolfman) November 22, 2018
Overall, however, it’s clear that this teaser has pleased the internet’s inner child. It’s surely no accident that the final line of the trailer is simply the word “Remember,” spoken by James Earl Jones in a reprisal of his role from the 1994 film. We certainly do remember, and you can bet that filmgoers won’t forget to show up for this one in eight months’ time.
Of course, the remake will also be bringing some of its own ideas to the table. As well as working with a new script from Jeff Nathanson, the film will reportedly feature only four songs from the original movie, leaving space for Tim Rice and Beyoncé to provide their own original piece. In its combination of the old and the new, we’ll see if The Lion King can do justice to its predecessor while carving out its own identity when the film hits theaters on July 19th, 2019.
