- Disney released the first teaser trailer for its live-action remake of “The Lion King.”
- The trailer features animals and scenes of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as a voiceover from Mufasa (James Earl Jones.)
- Fans immediately began comparing the newly released “Lion King” trailer to the that of the 1994 animated version.
- The movie hits theaters July 19, 2019.
On Thursday, Disney released the first teaser trailer for its highly anticipated live-action remake of “The Lion King,” The one-and-a-half-minute video featured many aspects from the original film that fans love, from breath-taking views of Africa to a James Earl Jones voice over.
In fact, the live-action trailer was so similar, fans began comparing the new trailer to the original “Lion King” trailer. And after looking a little closely, they seem to be right.
Read more: Here’s the cast of Disney’s live-action ‘The Lion King’ and who they’re playing
Here’s proof that the trailer for the live-action “Lion King” is eerily similar to the original.
Both trailers begin with a sun rising over Africa.
You can hear birds chirping before the screen cuts to black.
You also see trees in both trailer, though in different location.
The first shot gives viewers faith that director Jon Favreau, who was nervous about taking on the remake, is staying true to the original while maintaining realism.
Next, the live-action trailer cuts to an oryx.
According to the Smithsonian's Nation Zoo and Biology Institute, an oryx is a species of antelope that may be behind the legend of the unicorn.
Though the shots are not identical, they are very similar.
There are two oryxes featured in the original trailer, and they have brown stripes instead of white.
Next, we see elephants and birds making their way to the ceremony.
The teaser trailer seems to be taking viewers on the journey to Simba's unveiling.
There are a few differences in this scene from the original trailer.
Given the darker hues in the original trailer, it seems the sun is still rising. The fog is also more pronounced in the original trailer. Despite these differences, however, it's still near perfect.
After the elephants, we see birds flying over bodies of water.
Again, this isn't an identical shot to the original. The scene is shot behind the birds.
The original trailer shows the birds flying from multiple angles.
Additionally, the red and orange hues imply the sun is still rising.
After a departure from the original trailer, we return to similarities with a wide shot of Pride Rock.
The scenery and the animals are truly gorgeous.
The original trailer features a fan-favorite, Zazu.
Rowan Atkinson, the man behind Mr. Bean, voiced Zazu in the original "Lion King." John Oliver will lend his voice to the bird in the live-action remake.
The next shot in the live-action trailer offers the first character look.
John Kani will voice Rafiki in the remake. His voice will sound familiar to Marvel fans, as Kani portrayed King T'Chaka in "Captain America: Civil War" and "Black Panther."
Again, this is not an identical shot.
But the baboons look identical.
The next shot is iconic: Rafiki releasing red liquid for the "baptism."
In the remade trailer, Rafiki appears to be breaking roots.
In the original trailer, Rafiki is breaking a fruit.
Both shots are brightly lit and just beautiful.
Next, we see Rafiki swiping the liquid on young Simba's head.
This action anoints Simba as the successor to the throne.
There is a slight difference from the original.
In the original, Rafiki swipes from right to left. In the new trailer, he is seen swiping from left to right.
Finally, we reach the pivotal moment where Simba is presented to the animal kingdom.
In the live-action version, young Simba will be voiced by JD McCrary.
While we see more of Rafiki in the original, the sentiment remains the same.
In the original version, young Simba was voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
As a sign of respect, the animals bow down to their future king
The scene in the live-action shot is a little faster than that of the original.
The animals are also different between the live-action and original.
The live-action featured zebras and oryxes, while the original feature elephants and giraffes, as well as a few zebras.
The trailers stray slightly after that, but there is one more similarity.
Towards the end of the trailer, we get a glimpse of older Simba, who will be voiced by Donald Glover in the live-action remake.
Though it is a little blurry and involves rain, we get a similar look in the original trailer.
Older Simba was voiced by Matthew Broderick in the 1994 version.
Even the title cards are similar.
The somewhat faded gold font is classic.
Though a slightly lighter gold than the original title card, you still get the same vibes.
The live-action "Lion King" hits theaters July 19, 2019. Until then, you can rent the original on Amazon.
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