After a clip of Simba, Timon and Pumbaa singing 'Hakuna Matata' from Disney's upcoming remake The Lion King emerged online last week, fans rushed to Twitter to share their concerns over the hyper-realistic visuals robbing the classic hit of its original magic.
Now, director Jon Favreau has responded to the criticism.
Speaking to Digital Spy at the film's European premiere in London on Sunday 14 July, the filmmaker claimed that "you have to keep breathing new life" into things in order to keep certain stories alive.
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"Whenever you're dealing with a story that people have a connection with, the good part of that is that they care so deeply and they're watching very closely," he explained. "So you really owe to them to tell the best story you can, and make for the best experience.
"But like anything else, I think people have expectations based on what their childhood was. I certainly felt it when we did The Jungle Book – there are people who remember the old way that it was done."
The 52-year-old went on to say that he believes the modern technology used in the new film will encourage children to watch it and in turn, might make them want to seek out the 1994 original.
"My hope is that kids who see this one might go and look at a 2D animated film that they might not look at otherwise. That was the goal here."
"I think if you have a great story, and if it's well done with talented people, all it does is expand the message," he concluded.
Related: Disney's new Lion King clip sees Simba facing off with Scar
Disney released the teaser footage after Donald Glover – who voices an adult Simba in the movie – appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote the film last week.
Other famous names bringing The Lion King's beloved characters to life include Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones and Beyoncé.
The Lion King opens in UK cinemas on July 19.
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Isabella is a freelance journalist who has written on young women's issues, entertainment, TV and film, South Asian representation, mental health, dating and so much more. She has bylines in ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Prima, Digital Spy, Women's Health, and Harper's Bazaar, and was named 30 Under 30 by MediaWeek, PPA and We Are The City. She was also shortlisted for Workplace Hero at the Investing In Ethnicity Awards and Hero of the Year at the European Diversity Awards. Follow Isabella on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
With over a decade's experience in the media space, Ben started out as a freelance writer for publications such as Trusted Reviews, the Daily Star and Gamesradar among others, before eventually turning his skills towards the world of video.
Ben worked at Digital Spy between 2019 and 2024 as Video Editor, and later the site's Video Lead.
Prior to his time with DS, Ben worked with the likes of ITN Productions, Yahoo! UK, AOL, Red Bull and The V&A Dundee on a range of productions from smaller social edits to global live streams and longer form documentaries for London Fashion Week.
A survival-horror aficionado who has shared a stage with Chas & Dave, helped Charles Dance navigate the DVDs in HMV and visited Murray Walker's home (for a shoot, he didn't just turn up), Ben is not easily starstruck, and always happy to film with names big or small.
