Disney's latest blockbuster spectacular, The Lion King, has been quite the divisive film since its release – not least for the artists who worked on the original 1994 animation.
Although Jon Favreau's remake recently became the fourth Disney film this year to surpass the $1 billion mark at the global box office, not everyone is entirely convinced that a Pride Rock reunion was necessary.
In a bid to discover how the original Lion King animators feel about their work being re-imagined some 15 years later, HuffPost US reached out to 13 artists who contributed to the Disney classic – and it's not all good news.
What to Read Next
Related: Lion King director Jon Favreau reveals Easter Egg we all missed
Only three artists were willing to speak on the record about the remake, with David Stephan arguing that the majority of the original Lion King crew would say: "'Why? Did you really have to do that?'"
Stephan admitted that the adaptation "kind of hurts", saying that it now feels like "the stockholder" has the casting vote on what movies are eventually made.
We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
However, Alexander Williams was more generous, pointing out that the artists who work for Disney "don't own" the films. "As far as I'm concerned, it's kind of none of my business whether they want to remake it or not," Williams said.
More positive still was Dave Bossert, who compared the Lion King remake to Walt Disney himself, and his favoured method of "reusing and recycling great stories".
"Overall, I thought the film stands on its own," he said. "It not only showcases a great story again, but it's an homage to the original film."
Whether it's an homage or a re-hash, one thing's for sure: The Lion King won't be the last we've seen from Disney's new era of remakes. The Little Mermaid, anyone?
The Lion King is out in cinemas now.
Sign Up for Disney+
![Disney Princess Complete Collection Box set [DVD] [2019]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1622032939-51jLSXD3BBL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Disney Princess Complete Collection Box set [DVD] [2019]")
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter account.
