Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
'Lion King' Cast Talks About Reimagining Disney Classic
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
July 10, 2019

Share

LOS ANGELES — Disney’s “The Lion King” has received no shortage of remakes and spinoffs in the years since its original 1994 release. Now, as the film reaches its silver anniversary, Disney delivers a new take on the animated musical.

“I think I’m really lucky, because I feel like a lot of the people who are experiencing it don’t remember the first one.”Donald Glover, who voices adult Simba
Cast and crew gathered in Hollywood for “The Lion King” world premiere Tuesday night, and discussed reimagining the classic.
“I think I’m really lucky, because I feel like a lot of the people who are experiencing it don’t remember the first one,” joked Donald Glover, who voices adult Simba.
“(The original film) is such a big part of who I was,” Glover continued, adding he felt the weight of his role especially during his duet of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” with co-star Beyoncé.
“Tackling it was really just trying to make the song feel as emotional as it was before,” he said.
While the remake pays homage to the source material, a new approach allowed for more creative liberties than its predecessor, many cast and crew noted.
Hans Zimmer, who composed the original film’s underscore, said he was excited to produce new compositions as well as revamp original music cues.
“This time, I could breathe,” he said, explaining that some of his music was performed too fast the first time around. “I could let them play properly. I could do things with them that I never did before.”
Photo of Bob Iger, Beyonce, and Jon Favreau
Bob Iger, left, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, poses with “The Lion King” cast member Beyonce, center, and the film’s director Jon Favreau at the premiere of the film at the El Capitan Theatre, Tuesday, July 9, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

‘The Music Department, We Went Crazy’

Composer Lebo M. said the remake will feature tunes from the original, and a host of new songs, as well as the anthem “He Lives in You,” which debuted in the stage production.
“We wrote it originally for the movie 25 years ago, and it made its mark on Broadway and around the world, and it’s now a very special version in this movie soundtrack,” he said. “The music department, we went crazy.”

“We wrote it originally for the movie 25 years ago, and it made its mark on Broadway and around the world, and it’s now a very special version in this movie soundtrack,” he said. “The music department, we went crazy.” — Composer Lebo M.
At times, so did the cast.
Actor Billy Eichner, who voices Timon, said director Jon Favreau (who also helmed Disney’s recent “The Jungle Book”) allowed him to record his voiceovers alongside his co-star Seth Rogen, the voice of Pumbaa. Most voice actors do the job solo.
“I think it all comes back to Jon Favreau for being brilliant and knowing how to do a big spectacular film that people can also relate to and make it feel organic and genuinely funny,” Eichner said. “Even when Donald Glover came in to do ‘Hakuna Matata’ in our scenes together, we were all riffing. We kept it very organic and very raw, and I think the movie hopefully benefits from that.”
Glover shared a similar sentiment about Favreau, saying the director’s vision for the remake is the reason he signed on.
“The story of us all being connected is a universal truth that we really can’t ignore anymore,” he said. “If we don’t really like see the value of our lives together what’s the point of all this? Because we’re all connected.”
The vibrant red carpet hosted stars including former Destiny’s Child singers Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Foxx, Chrissy Metz, Tracy Morgan, Yara Shahidi, Chloe x Halle, and Zooey Deschanel (whose father, Caleb Deschanel, is the cinematographer). Inside, Favreau introduced the cast, who were met with a standing ovation before the film started. He also singled out filmmakers of the animated original that were in the audience for special thanks.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

4 Million Acres of California Forests Could Lose Protection. What Trump’s ‘Roadless Rule’ Repeal Could Do

DON'T MISS

Israeli Settlers Raid West Bank Town, Troops Kill 3 Palestinians

DON'T MISS

West Nile Virus Detected in Mosquitoes in Fresno County

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Netanyahu’s Trial Should Be Canceled

DON'T MISS

St. Agnes’ New Chief Medical Officer Is a Kidney Care Expert

DON'T MISS

US Military to Create Two New Border Zones, Officials Say

DON'T MISS

Trump Signals US May Ease Iran Oil Sanction Enforcement to Help Rebuild Country

DON'T MISS

CIA Says Intelligence Indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program Severely Damaged

DON'T MISS

Upscale Woodward Park Area Apartments Sell for $19 Million

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Learn the Latest on the Caleb Quick Murder Hearings

UP NEXT

Mariska Hargitay Comes to Terms With a Lifetime of Family Secrets

UP NEXT

The Secret to Finding the Best Travel Bargains

UP NEXT

Amazon’s Prime Day 2025 Levels Up With Four Days of Deals Starting July 8

UP NEXT

Fresno Now Has a Professional Shakespeare Co. Thanks to Measure P Sales Tax

UP NEXT

Hips Don’t Lie, and Neither Do Ticket Sales: Shakira Adds Fresno Show

UP NEXT

Canseco, Cheechoo to Sign Autographs When Chukchansi Cuts Ribbon on Top Golf

UP NEXT

Netflix Set to Launch Third Themed Venue in Las Vegas

UP NEXT

‘GTA VI’ Delay Weighs on Global Videogame Market Growth, Data Shows

UP NEXT

Protester Killed at Utah ‘No Kings’ Rally Was Fashion Designer From ‘Project Runway’

UP NEXT

Five Weeknight Dishes: Seven Ingredients or Fewer, Because Summer

Trump Says Netanyahu’s Trial Should Be Canceled

3 hours ago

St. Agnes’ New Chief Medical Officer Is a Kidney Care Expert

3 hours ago

US Military to Create Two New Border Zones, Officials Say

4 hours ago

Trump Signals US May Ease Iran Oil Sanction Enforcement to Help Rebuild Country

4 hours ago

CIA Says Intelligence Indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program Severely Damaged

5 hours ago

Upscale Woodward Park Area Apartments Sell for $19 Million

6 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Learn the Latest on the Caleb Quick Murder Hearings

6 hours ago

Trump Administration Orders CA to Strip Trans Athlete of Medals

6 hours ago

Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Reboot Fast-Tracked to 2027

6 hours ago

Democratic Lawmaker Pleads Not Guilty to Assaulting US Agents at Immigration Center

7 hours ago

4 Million Acres of California Forests Could Lose Protection. What Trump’s ‘Roadless Rule’ Repeal Could Do

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The Trump administration’s plan to repeal a rule prohibiti...

2 hours ago

Tahoe National Forest
2 hours ago

4 Million Acres of California Forests Could Lose Protection. What Trump’s ‘Roadless Rule’ Repeal Could Do

Palestinians gather to receive aid supplies in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
3 hours ago

Israeli Settlers Raid West Bank Town, Troops Kill 3 Palestinians

West Nile virus mosquito
3 hours ago

West Nile Virus Detected in Mosquitoes in Fresno County

President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 7, 2025. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

Trump Says Netanyahu’s Trial Should Be Canceled

3 hours ago

St. Agnes’ New Chief Medical Officer Is a Kidney Care Expert

A U.S. Border Patrol vehicle patrols along the border wall, following the establishment of a 260-mile military zone along the southern U.S. border in New Mexico and Texas as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, in Sunland Park, New Mexico, U.S., May 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

US Military to Create Two New Border Zones, Officials Say

Oil tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz, December 21, 2018. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

Trump Signals US May Ease Iran Oil Sanction Enforcement to Help Rebuild Country

CIA Director John Ratcliffe speaks during an interview at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 30, 2025. (Reuters File)
5 hours ago

CIA Says Intelligence Indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program Severely Damaged

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend