Beyonce is to star as Disney reinvents ‘The Lion King’, but what else is new in this live-action remake? Tanya Sweeney reports
Beyonce is to star as Disney reinvents ‘The Lion King’, but what else is new in this live-action remake? Tanya Sweeney reports
B eyonce is the undisputed queen of the online ‘stealth’ announcement. In July, she posted a picture of herself on Instagram with her newborn twins Rumi and Sir, breaking the internet to boot (she was trending worldwide in eight different ways). And yesterday, after a relatively quiet few months, Beyonce dropped another bombshell: that she is to voice Nala in the live action remake of Disney’s 1994 cartoon classic The Lion King. Though undoubtedly the biggest star on the bill, BBeyonce ff iindsd hherselflf iin rather eminent company for The Lion King remake.
Donald Glover will play Simba, the young lion llearning to be king, James Earl Jones will reprise his role of Simba’s father Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor will star as villainous Scar, while John Oliver, Seth RRogan and Alfre Woodard aappear in supporting roles.
Naturally, the internet ppromptly chimed in with ththeir reaction to the news. There was the ‘don’t mess with a stone- cold classic’ in one camp. In the other, the remake ( live-action simply refers to ordinar y cinematography as opposed to animation) due for release in summer 2019, is already being hailed as one of the decade’s most important movies for young kids of colour. Much of this, naturally, has to do with the involvement of Queen Bey. Her Facebook post this week confirms rumours that have been swirling since March that director Jon Favreau offered her the role.
The studio’s emphasis on live-action adaptations follows the successes of Alice In Wonderland (2010), Maleficent (2014), Cinderella (2015), and, most recently, Beauty And The Beast (2016).
The Lion King marks Beyonce’s f irst f ilm role since lending her voice to the Fox animated f ilm Epic in 2013.
It’s easy to see why she was both Favreau’s and Disney’s top choice to voice Nala. Beyonce’s as close as any modern artist to royalty — who else could feasibly play the queen of the pride of the African savanna?
According to reports, the star was pregnant with Rumi
and Sir when the studio made their initial approach over seven months ago, and Disney and the director were more than happy to do whatever it took to accommodate her schedule. Eventually, a deal was hammered out and the singer will voice the character and manage the movie’s soundtrack for $ 25m.
Released in 1994, The Lion King is one of the highestgrossing animated f ilms of all time with a lifetime global box office of $ 968.8m. To call it a box office smash is understating the case somewhat: The Lion King f inished its theatrical run as the highest-grossing release of 1994 and the second highest grossing f ilm of all time. It also spawned the smash musical, which won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and, in October, will mark 20 consecutive years playing on Broadway. Seen by an estimated 75 million people in 22 productions around the world, the theatrical version of The Lion King has been dubbed “the most lucrative entertainment event in histor y”, overtaking Phantom Of The Opera as Broadway’s biggest draw in 2014.
It’s likely that the remake will doff a cap to the stage show more than the original animation. In its 20-year histor y, the Broadway musical has been hailed as a riot of colour and magic. Time Magazine called it a “gorgeous, gasp-inducing spectacle” while Variety gushed thus: “Julie Taymor’s staging of Disney’s The Lion King is a marvel, a theatrical achievement unrivalled in its beauty, brains and ingenuity. Leaping far beyond its celluloid inspiration, the stage version improves upon nearly ever y aspect of the hit 1994 animated f ilm, from visual artistr y and stor y telling to Lebo M’s score and the newly African-ised pop songs of Elton John and Tim Rice.”
Disney know the power of a star-studded cast, but they also know that to cement cult status, they need the tunes. Back in the 90s, The Lion King nestled its way into the affections of today’s
Already, there is much speculation as to how Beyonce’s golden touch will shake things up on the soundtrack
millennials with a classic soundtrack. Songs from the f ilm — among them the earworms ‘Circle Of Life’ and ‘Hakuna Matata’ — were written by Elton John and Rice, while Hans Zimmer penned the movie’s score. With over 18 million copies sold to date, it was ver y much the Frozen of its time.
Already, there is much fevered speculation as to how Beyonce’s golden touch will shake things up on the soundtrack front. Expect plenty of African inf luence — perhaps an ultra-modern pop/ hip-hop bent. Either way, as ever with Camp Beyonce, there’s not likely to be a dull moment.