Those worried that the upcoming ‘Lion King’ live action remake would ruin the legacy of the original can rest easy after seeing the first trailer.
Disney has stayed faithful to the beloved 1994 film in their first look at the remake, having recreated the animated teaser frame-for-frame in CGI.
The trailer, which debuted late on Thursday night, opens with the familiar opening bars of ‘Circle Of Life’.
It then recreates Simba’s baptism on Pride Rock, as well as the infamous stampede that kills Mufassa.
The dulcet tones of James Earl Jones can also be heard, as he tells Simba: “Everything the light touches is our kingdom, but a king’s time as ruler rises and falls like the sun, One day, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king.”
The actor reprised his role as Simba’s father, 24 years on from voicing Mufassa in the original film.
The rest of the cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa the warthog and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar.
As well as voicing Nala, Beyoncé has also been reworking the classic songs of the original film with their composer, Elton John.
She has also recorded a new track with Elton and original composer Tim Rice for the closing credits.
The film has been directed by Jon Favreau, who was also behind the recent ‘Jungle Book’ remake.
‘The Lion King’ is the latest Disney classic to get a live action reboot, with recent hits including ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Beauty And The Beast’, while a remake of ‘Dumbo’ will also debut next year.
‘The Lion King’ is slated for release on 19 July 2019.