Disney’s The Lion King 2019 images show off the remake’s human voice cast. The new live-action take on the iconic animated film is set to hit theaters this month, and so far, things are looking very promising for what will be Disney’s third live-action adaptation of 2019.

The Lion King first arrived in theaters back in 1994, during a creative period often known as the Disney Renaissance, in which Disney returned to the production of animated films, producing critical hit after critical hit from 1989 to 1999. The success of The Lion King grew to astounding proportions and today, the tale of courage, family and love has gone from a global animated hit to a hugely successful Broadway musical. Now, it’s preparing to launch its third iteration, this time as a live-action film adaptation, directed by Jungle Book mastermind Jon Favreau.

So far, everything that fans have seen of The Lion King looks quite stunning - arguably more so than any other live-action remake that Disney has made to date. And as box office trackers and analysts attempt to predict just how huge this new take on a 25-year-old classic will prove to be, for fans, a big part of the fun is the list of well-known stars that will be voicing the iconic characters the world has come to love. Thanks to Disney, we now have a succinct video breakdown of some of the cast we can expect to hear. Check it out below, as well as a host of new stills of the voice cast facing off with their characters.

As with most beloved animated tales, The Lion King loses its audience in the onscreen action to such a degree that those voicing the characters effortlessly become Simba or Pumbaa. In the above video, Favreau reveals his belief that if the spirit of the original film can be captured in the new adaptation, while still showing audiences something new and surprising, then the best combo has been achieved. This will likely be proven very true upon The Lion King’s upcoming release, and as the new featurette and images reveal, the voice cast, comprised of Keegan-Michael Key (Kamari), Alfre Woodard (Sarabi), John Oliver (Zazu), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), Billy Eichner (Timon), Beyoncé (Nala), Donald Glover (Simba), Eric Andre (Azizi), JD McCrary (young Simba), Shahadi Wright Joseph (young Nala) and of course, James Earl Jones (Mufasa), is a tremendous one, offering so much in terms of drama, humor and music to audiences.

At this point, there’s still just over two weeks to go before the film is released, but it’s very hard to believe that this isn’t going to be the biggest hit of the summer. While the summer’s previous blockbuster, Avengers: Endgame scored staggeringly huge box office tallies, The Lion King appeals to so many more demographics, plus it has the sort of universal appeal that can instantly draw in new viewers. Really, the question here doesn’t seem to be if The Lion King can become the biggest hit of the summer, but whether or not it can become the biggest hit of all time.

Next: How The Lion King Blends Live-Action & 3D Animation

Source: Disney

  • The Lion King Release Date: 2019-07-19