‘The Lion King’: How the New Trailer Compares to the Original Movie

The first full trailer for Disney’s reimagined The Lion King finally arrived online Wednesday morning, delivering the nostalgia that fans of the original movie have been waiting to see. Not only were the beloved characters brought to life with new technology, but the trailer also included several scenes that were quite literally recreated, shot-for-shot, from the animated classic. In fact, these shots were so spot on that we wanted to see what they would look like when put up against the original Lion King. Spoiler alert: the new iteration doesn’t disappoint.

In the video above, you’ll see the new trailer for The Lion King playing on one half of the screen. The other half of the screen contains the clips from the same scenes in the animated movie. As you watch them play side-by-side, it’s easy to see just how similar they really are. Take a look!

This reimagining of The Lion King is directed by Jon Favreau, who helmed the live-action version of The Jungle Book for Disney just a couple of years ago. That movie was an instant success for Disney and the studio is clearly hoping he can bring the same magic to The Lion King.

Just like in Jungle Book, Favreau has surrounded himself with an all-star voice cast for The Lion King. Donald Glover will voice lead character Simba, with music icon Beyonce Knowles starring opposite him as Nala. Seth Rogen also joins the cast portraying Pumbaa, along with Billy Eichner as Timon, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, John Oliver as Zazu, Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, and John Kani as Rafiki. James Earl Jones will once again voice Mufasa, reprising his role from the original 1994 film.

Along with the trailer, Disney released the official synopsis for The Lion King:

“Disney’s The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book), journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.”

The Lion King hits theaters on July 19th.

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