The Lion King
The Lion King is a 2019 American musical drama film written by Jeff Nathanson, directed and produced by John Favreau, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Fairview Entertainment. It is a realistic computer-animated remake of the classic 1994 Disney animated film of the same name. The film features the voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Florence Kasumba, Eric Andre, Keegan Michael Key, JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Beyonce Knowles Carter, and James. Earl Jones repeats his role in the original film. The plot follows Simba, a young lion, who must accept his role as the rightful king of his country after his father Mufasa is murdered at the hands of his uncle Scar. Plans for a 1994 remake of The Lion King were confirmed in September 2016 following the box office success of Disney remakes such as The Jungle Book (2016) directed by Favreau. Favreau was inspired by some of the character roles in the Broadway adaptation and developed elements of the original film plot. Most of the main cast were signed in early 2017, and major filming began in mid-2017 on the Blue Screen stage in Los Angeles. The "virtual reality tools" used to film The Jungle Book were more used during the filming of The Lion King. Composer Hans Zimmer, Elton John, and lyricist Tim Rice all worked on the original soundtrack and returned to compose the sheet music with KnowlesCarter, who helped John rework the soundtrack and write a new song for the movie "Spirit" she performed. The film serves as the final strength of editor Mark Livolsi and is dedicated to his memory. With a budget of around $260 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.
The Lion King premiered in Hollywood on July 9, 2019, and was released in the United States on July 19, 2019 in Dolby Cinema, RealD 3D, and IMAX. It grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide during its theatrical run, beating Frozen to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time. It also became the seventh-highest-grossing film of all time and the second-highest-grossing film of 2019. The Lion King received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its visuals, music, and vocal performances (especially Rogen and Eichner) and criticism for its lack of originality. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film and Original Song at the 77th Golden Globe Awards and the 25th Critics' Choice Awards. It was also nominated for visual effects at the 73rd and 92nd British Academy Film Awards. A sequel is in development and will be directed by Barry Jenkins.
- Gross: $1.6 billion
