Seth Rogen reveals Lion King live-action reboot photo

Seth Rogen has posted a behind-the-scenes gawp at Disney’s live-action Lion King remake.

Well, we say it’s live-action, but as there are no human characters in it, the first picture is basically a bunch of dudes in comfortable clothes fresh from recording their voiceover parts for the photorealistic animals that’ll populate the movie.

In the shot, we have Rogen (Pumba), Donald Glover (Simba) and Billy Eichner (Timon), as well as director Jon Favreau.

Iron Man / Jungle Book director Favreau has spoken before about how important it is for him to honour the original in his remake.

“The Jungle Book was 50 years ago, but The Lion King was only 20. It came out in the age of video where people were watching it over and over again,” Favreau said. “So I have to prioritize that when I’m directing. I have to try and honor what was there. In some ways it’s like bringing a Broadway play back because there are certain expectations.”

“I tried to keep it on the edge of being real,” Favreau said. “The Lion King, people really know it and they grew up with it. They have an emotional impact. I think memory is like a compression software; you can’t remember everything so you prioritize what’s important.

“I think, ‘What do I remember about The Lion King? What do I remember about The Jungle Book? I remember Mowgli and the snake; the snake’s eyes; Baloo and the river. Those are the images we definitely need in there [the new live-action movie]. Then you look back at it and you realize here’s things you don’t remember, which you can explore a little more.”

The Lion King is set for release by Disney in 2019.

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