Ever since The Lion King‘s first trailer was released last year, fans of the beloved original started having some fears. After closing our YouTube browser tabs, we were a little worried that the 1994 animated tale was being remade shot for shot. USA Today was able to grab some exclusive intel from the director of the upcoming remake, Jon Favreau, though and he wants to let us know that our voices (and tweets) haven’t fallen on deaf ears.
Here’s what he had to say about his creation:
“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.
The talented filmmaker also promised that the iconic moments from the animated masterpiece are still there but despite what the original trailer may have unintentionally suggested, we won’t be sitting through an exact replica.
The sneak peak, released last November, treated us to many of our favorite parts of the original film, even if it was only in beautiful, stunning CGI. Or as Disney puts it, live-action (it’s okay, we like that term better, too). As such, many of us who grew up singing the entire soundtrack were instantly in love, but wary of an exact copy of the original.
Favreau proved himself worthy to Disney and fans though when he made his semi-live-action remake of The Jungle Book and his vision of The Lion King will almost certainly be as stunning, if not more than the ’90s classic. His intent to pay tribute to the original echoes the words of others close to the project as well. That includes Alan Horn, Disney’s film chief, who promised fresh tears would fall after seeing the new version. “Bring a handkerchief,” he warned moviegoers.
So, stock up on those tissues, and prepare to learn about the circle of life once again this summer, as Jon Favreau’s The Lion King hits theaters on July 19th
