Disney’s hit movie The Lion King is the latest movie that will be recreated as a live-action feature film.
Disney is working with Jon Favreau, the director who brought The Jungle Book to theaters, for a 21st century version of the animated classic feature film.
“The Lion King builds on Disney’s success of reimagining its classics for a contemporary audience with films like Maleficent, Cinderella and The Jungle Book,” the company said on its website. “The upcoming Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson as Belle, is already one of the most anticipated movies of 2017. Like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King will include songs from the animated film.”
Favreau reportedly plans to build on what he accomplished with Jungle Book, where he used a real child actor mixed with CGI and green-screen sets in Los Angeles.
Lion King is considered one of the most popular Disney animated movies. Set in Africa, the story centers around a young lion named Simba who loses his father thanks to his evil uncle Scar, and is banished from his home.
The movie earned nearly a billion dollars worldwide. It won several Academy Awards and was turned into a Broadway production.
Expect to see open casting calls for The Lion King, as Disney has consistently held open casting calls searching for new talent.
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