THE LION KING Roars On To The Cover Of Entertainment Weekly; New Stills Showcase Scar, Rafiki, And More

The Lion King is featured on the cover of this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly and with that comes a new batch of amazing official images which bring the beloved Disney cartoon to life...

By JoshWilding - Apr 25, 2019 06:04 AM EST

Filed Under: Disney

While all eyes are currently on Avengers: Endgame, Disney's next big release is obviously The Lion King. Directed by Jon Favreau, the live-action adaptation of the beloved cartoon is utilising technology which is even more advanced than what was used on The Jungle Book and you can tell by browsing through these new official images.

They've been released by Entertainment Weekly along with a Roar-some (sorry) magazine cover putting the spotlight on Mufasa and the young Simba. The stills, meanwhile, provide new looks at everyone from Scar to Timon and Pumba and Rafiki.

While Disney's live-action adaptations have definitely been hit and miss (Dumbo was a big disappointment), the love surrounding The Lion King pretty much guarantees that it will be a box office success and the property is definitely in safe hands with Favreau. You'll also find plenty of interesting comments from the cast and crew below.

So, to check out these images, you guys just need to click on the "View List" button!

"I think this film is a culmination of all the live-action adaptations that Disney has done of their animated classics," director Jon Favreau tells the site. "The idea of taking these characters and this music, just as the stage play took it, sticking closely to the story but reinventing it for a different medium… I thought that this technology would be separate enough from the animated film that it felt fresh and new, yet completely related to the original."

After talking in detail about the amazing technology which has gone into bringing this world to life, Favreau adds that he ultimately hopes none of that really matters to moviegoers as he wants them to become engrossed in this adventure as if it were truly real.

"We hope it will feel like something different and something that’s as emotionally engaging as a film with real animals using real cameras. And as we introduce the material to people, they’ll begin to understand — or at least be confused in a way that’s creatively compelling."

Donald Glover voices the adult Simba in The Lion King and is proud to be part of the impressive ensemble cast. "[The Lion King is] a timeless story," he says, "but I think the way Favreau has constructed it, it’s a very timely story as well. I just wanted to be a part of a global good."

"It was really amazing," Glover says of the director’s techniques. "I’ve never seen anything like it. To be able to have that type of mobility in an actual world is the first of its kind, I think. How he melded new and old tech was really inspiring."

Seth Rogen voices Pumba in the movie and is excited to deliver a new take on the beloved character. In fact, it doesn't sound like he's feeling the pressure at all! "As an actor, I 100 percent don’t think I’m right for every role — there are a lot of roles I don’t think I’m right for even in movies I’m making — but Pumbaa was one I knew I could do well," he explains. "Truthfully, I probably would have been a little insulted if [Favreau] didn’t ask me to."

Jeremy Irons' performance as Scar is iconic but Chiwetel Ejiofor takes over here as the villain. "There’s something quite interesting in knowing that you’re always holding a lethal capacity," he says, describing his Scar as "psychologically possessed" and "brutalized."

"Especially with Scar, whether it’s a vocal quality that allows for a certain confidence or a certain aggression, to always know that at the end of it you’re playing somebody who has the capacity to turn everything on its head in a split second with outrageous acts of violence… that can completely change the temperature of a scene."

"People way more famous and successful than me would have killed for this part," Billy Eichner says when asked about being cast as Timon. "It’s such a great role that allows you to do so much. But I’ve learned that the bigger the project and the bigger the names that you’re working with, the more you have to ignore it."

"If you get to the soundstage and you’re thinking, ‘Oh my God, what a full-circle moment! Nathan Lane did it originally! Beyoncé’s in this!’ then you’re paralyzed creatively. You just have to put that out of your head in order to get the job done."

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28 Comments

BreakTheCode - 4/25/2019, 6:34 AM

OT: Rami Malek confirmed as the villain in Bond 25. This should be good.

Mrcool210 - 4/25/2019, 6:35 AM

Is it blasphemous for me to say that I never thought the effects have looked too good yet? People are going crazy and saying "THEY LOOK SO REAL" Yet to me they still look pretty computer generated. Almost like they were made out of shiny plastic. I mean I'll still see it. But maybe my glasses are just [frick]ed.

Mrcool210 - 4/25/2019, 6:37 AM

Except for Mufasa on the cover:

He looks real there. Simba still don't look too great though

HeavyKevy - 4/25/2019, 7:40 AM

@Mrcool210 - Are you for real? "Simba still doesn't look too great though"? You go ahead and produce something better than. Go ahead, we'll wait....

Mrcool210 - 4/25/2019, 8:27 AM

@HeavyKevy - I always love the "YOU DO BETTER" argument. It holds so much water.

A lot of people can't do better effects then stephen wolf in justice league yet people are allowed to say he looks bad. But this is something you like so it doesn't count.

Not saying the effects here are going to be as bad as Justice league. Just saying the "You do better" Argument is a stupid one.

HeavyKevy - 4/25/2019, 9:36 AM

@Mrcool210 - Seriously though, how can you say Simba looks bad. I love how everyone becomes a CGI expert all of a sudden. You have to admit it looks realistic as hell.

Mrcool210 - 4/25/2019, 10:14 AM

@HeavyKevy - Like I said before, could be my glasses. But Simba in that picture looks like he's made of clay to me.

blackandyellow - 4/25/2019, 6:48 AM

I've been watching Hostile Planet on NatGeo and now I want to see a realistic and ultraviolent version of The Lion King.

NightwingNad - 4/25/2019, 6:51 AM

They will never top that .

IronGenesis - 4/25/2019, 7:00 AM

@NightwingNad - I don’t think they are even going to try. Reports in 2018 indicated Scars Song was CUT.

https://slate.com/culture/2018/02/the-lion-king-remake-wont-have-be-prepared-and-thats-a-mistake-video.html

We shall see. Just be Prepared if it isn’t in the movie.

KWilly - 4/25/2019, 6:57 AM

Something about this picture makes me go, “Yeeaaah, this should’ve stayed a 2D cartoon.”

MotherGooseUPus - 4/25/2019, 7:53 AM

Will probably see it... will probably like it... but it will never top my childhood cartoon i grew up with

grover - 4/25/2019, 8:17 AM

The Lion King is my favorite movie ever. I've wanted this live-action remake since I was 5. I can't freaking wait.

THE LION KING Roars On To The Cover Of Entertainment Weekly; New Stills Showcase Scar, Rafiki, And More

The Lion King is featured on the cover of this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly and with that comes a new batch of amazing official images which bring the beloved Disney cartoon to life...

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