Despite its big-eared predecessor disappointing in cinemas (sorry, Dumbo), Disney's live-action remake of The Lion King is expected to be a big hit with fans – and if it is, it won't just be down to the magic and nostalgia of the original.
Although there were concerns over the similarities between the 1994 animated classic and Jon Favreau's update after the first trailer arrived, the director has insisted that the two films will be "different" to one another.
As "different" as feasibly possible when re-telling the same story, that is.
Related: The Lion King live-action movie teaser trailer is Disney's most-viewed trailer debut ever
Reiterating earlier comments that The Lion King will not be a "shot-for-shot" remake, Jon Favreau has promised that Disney fans will still be surprised by the updated version.
"The original holds up incredibly well," he said (via IndieWire), "so the challenge here was to tell a story in a different way but still deliver on people's expectations while surprising them somehow."
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Anticipation for Favreau's remake-that's-not-a-remake has been building since the film's second official trailer arrived earlier this month.
Months after our first look arrived, we were given another glimpse of The Lion King's photo-realistic CGI, and even Chiwetel Ejiofor's chilling take on Scar. The less said about that stampede scene, though, the better.
The Lion King will open in cinemas on July 19.
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