The Lion King: Why the live version is set to be next year's biggest film

SUCH was the success of the stage and film productions of The Lion King, a new version drawing on more than two decades of technological development in the film business was always going to create a stir. But few could have predicted the impact created by the release of the new Disney movie’s first trailer last week. The latest figures show it has set a new record as the company’s most watched trailer ever, with 224 million global hits in 24 hours.

Some of those millions watched the 93-second trailer over and over again in a bid to work out whether the animals they viewed were real or not.

The opening scene certainly looks just like a real African scene as the sun bursts over a landscape full of animals: elephants, giraffes, zebras and, of course, lions.

As fans of the original film will know, The Lion King tells the story of a lion called Simba, heir to the kingdom of his father, Mufasa, who must withstand the ruthless machinations of his wicked uncle Scar in order to win his birthright.

James Earl Jones’s voice-over as Mufasa sets up the story with the words: “Everything the light touches is our kingdom. One day the sun will set on my time here and will rise with you as the new king.”

On a huge rock overhanging the kingdom, the monkey Rafiki holds aloft lion cub Simba as an audience of animals nod below – in awe of the new-born monarch of the Pride Lands.

Comparing Simba’s introduction in the new film to the scene from the 1994 animated version is an object lesson in how far film technology has advanced in 24 years.

There is simply no comparison. The old version is an extremely well-drawn cartoon, while the images from the new film could almost have come from a David Attenborough documentary.

Just as the trailer – released to coincide with Thanksgiving on November 22 in the United States – has created records, the expected box office takings when the full-length film hits cinema screens in July 2019 are expected to smash $1billion. This would mean it would comfortably outstrip its predecessor, which pulled in $766milion, making it the biggest grossing animation in the year of its release.

Director Jon Favreau will be watching the figures for his new project very closely. His remake of that other Disney classic, The Jungle Book, two years ago took almost $1billion around the world, picking up an Oscar along the way for its visual effects.

Simba held aloft Favreau appears to have lavished the same level of care and attention on the leading characters in The Lion King as he did on Mowgli, Shere Khan and Baloo.

Earl Jones is joined by Donald Glover (as Simba), the British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (as Scar), Seth Rogen (as the warthog Pumbaa) and Beyonce (as Simba’s friend Nala).

Bringing the characters to life through the voices is relatively easy compared to the complexities of computer-generated imagery, or CGI.

In Hollywood, a debate is raging over the correct terminology for films made with so much CGI. To the casual observer the animals in the trailer are involved in what cinema-goers the world over would call “live action”. As they run, fight and roar, they look completely realistic.

But some argue that because traditional live action is mixed with CGI elements it should be classed as an animation.

The resulting “photoreality” is something moviegoers should not try to fathom out, according to Rob Legato, the visual effects genius who worked on The Jungle Book with Favreau and is by his side on the new project.

Three-time Oscar winner Legato said last year: “The ability to recreate anything and recreate it faithfully is the future of cinema. You shouldn’t be aware that we were using a computer to make the movie. You have to treat it like a camera, and do no more… or it distracts you from the story.

“I don’t want to make a visual effects extravaganza, I want to make a movie.”

The visual effects are not the only big draw.

Four of the popular songs created by Sir Elton John and the lyricist Sir Tim Rice for the earlier film will appear in its successor: Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Hakuna Matata, I Just Can’t Wait To Be King and Circle Of Life.

Sir Elton also said: “There will be an end, closing song, and we’ve been speaking to Beyonce’s people and hopefully Tim and I and her can cook up something.”

However, not everyone is looking forward to the new film.

On Twitter, one fan, Alex, spoke for some loyalists when he said: “I have such mixed feelings about The Lion King remake. My favourite film in the entire world and I’m so concerned the new version is absolutely awful.”

But the reservations of a handful of loyalists are unlikely to silence the roar of this Lion King.

ROARING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

LION cub Simba’s journey to become king of the Pride Lands has lost none of its appeal over the past 24 years.

Since the original animated film was screened in 1994 – with British stars Jeremy Irons as Scar and Rowan Atkinson as Zazu – the public simply hasn’t been able to get enough of the colourful creations, on film or on stage.

The image of Rafiki holding up Simba for all the world to see has passed into cinematic history.

A Broadway stage version wowed audiences in 1997, with Julie Taymor creating history by being the first woman to win a Tony award as the best director of a musical.

Using skills developed for opera productions and epic theatre shows, she brought the rich characters to life through puppetry and movement.

The songs created by Sir Tim Rice and Sir Elton John have proved as memorable as the spectacular stage scenes.

Taymor also decided Rafiki should be female for the Broadway production. Actress Buyi Zama once said of the role: “Rafiki is the person that takes care of everyone. Rafiki means friend.”

Theatre audiences in London could not wait for the production to come to the Lyceum Theatre two years later.

Some 65 million have seen the production, which is now showing in Tokyo, Hamburg and Madrid. Shows will open in Australia and Brazil this year.

Four years ago, Disney announced worldwide takings for the musical had reached a record £3.8billion.