JOHANNESBURG – Disney announced that a new live action remake for The Lion King is in the works to join the growing list of remakes of their classic stories.
Disney had announced that a total of 18 classic films will be turned into live action adaptations to join the already released Cinderella, Maleficent, The Jungle Book, the yet to be released Beauty and the Beast.
Despite the new film being in good hands with director Jon Favreau, who has an impressive directing record for movies such as The Jungle Book and the Iron Man series, there are still some worries about the Lion King remake:
1. The factor of using real lions
This was always going to be the biggest dilemma for the new The Lion King remake in comparison to the other Disney remakes that includes animals.
The Jungle Book, directed by Favreau, was saved by the human boy Mowgli that helped usher in the realistic elements to life, but a live action movie where lions talk to each other? This will be tricky and interesting to watch how they execute it.
2. The music
The original animated classic had veteran and legend Hans Zimmer composing the music in collaboration with South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Lebo M. and Native Rhythms record label, which gave the movie and the score its distinct African feel.
If the remake aims to capture what gave the animated film its magic and one of the most important emotional elements, the music, they’ll need to rope in composers that will add a unique twist to the music.
3. The location, namely the Serengeti
The Lion King takes place in many different locations in South-East Africa, namely the East African rift valley in what could be in parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.
As many Americans are still under the impression that lions still live and are kings of the jungle (see main picture), should we be ready for the misinterpretation of our beautiful African landscape?
