Disney have confirmed they’ll be making a live action version of The Lion King.
The House of Mouse have drafted in director Jon Favreau to helm the new movie, which will use much of the same technology to make this year’s version of The Jungle Book so memorable.
Jon Favreau teased the new project with a lovely little tweet…
Excited for my next project 🦁👑
— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) September 28, 2016
And Disney soon followed up with an official press release.
We can officially confirm that The Walt Disney Studios and director Jon Favreau are putting a new reimagining of The Lion King on the fast track to production. The project follows the technologically groundbreaking smash hit The Jungle Book, directed by Favreau, which debuted in April and has earned $965.8 million worldwide.
The Lion King builds on Disney’s success of reimagining its classics for a contemporary audience with films like Maleficent, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book. The upcoming Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle, is already one of the most anticipated movies of 2017. Like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King will include songs from the animated film. Disney and Favreau are also in development on a sequel to The Jungle Book. No release date has been announced for either film.
As Disney admit, the move follows their recent trend of using advanced filmmaking technology and CGI to make “live action” reimaginings of their own classic animated works.
At time of writing, there’s no confirmation as to whether the new Lion King film will adapt the 1994 film, or the Tony Award-winning musical.
All we know is the new film will have a banging soundtrack.
Someone call up Elton John, there’s some belting music to be made.
