You can now book your tickets for Disney's eagerly anticipated remake of The Lion King, arriving in Cineworld on 19th July.
It's adapted from Disney's 1994 animated masterpiece, which stormed the Oscars and the box office. But before you claim your seat (booking link can be found at the bottom of this blog post), here's everything you need to know about the movie.
1. It's directed by Jon Favreau
Not familiar with the name? What if we told you Jon Favreau is the man behind Disney's blockbusting remake of The Jungle Book? That movie drew widespread acclaim for the way it fused the darker impulses of Rudyard Kipling's source material with the songwriting elan of the 1967 animation.
Favreau also kick-started the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with Iron Man, so he knows his way around a family-friendly blockbuster property, which bodes very well for The Lion King.
2. It's got an all-star voice cast
Brace yourselves, because The Lion King has one of the most impressive casts of any 2019 movie. Childish Gambino himself, Donald Glover, is the adult Simba, and is joined by fellow pop culture megastar Beyonce Knowles-Carter as adult Nala.
James Earl Jones is back as Mufasa, reprising his role from the 1994 original, and 12 Years a Slave's Chiwetel Ejiofor is the evil Scar. Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner are bantering warthog duo Timon and Pumbaa, Jon Oliver is Zazu and John Kani is Rafiki.
3. The original composers are back
Hans Zimmer bagged an Oscar for his sweeping score to the original Lion King, and excitingly he's back to rework his beautiful music.
Zimmer, who in recent years has scored the likes of The Dark Knight and X-Men: Dark Phoenix, is joined by fellow returnees Elton John and Tim Rice, who are revisiting their hit ballads like 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight'. In fact, you can get a sample of said tune in the clip below, showcasing Glover and Beyonce's vocals.
4. There are new songs
The new Lion King isn't just coasting on past glories. Elton John has confirmed he's written a new song with Tim Rice titled 'Never Too Late', which will reportedly be performed with an African choir.
And contrary to rumours that certain songs from the original would be excluded, it now appears that all of them will be appearing in the new movie. This includes villain's number 'Be Prepared', in which Chiwetel Ejiofor replaces Jeremy Irons.
5. It's breaking boundaries
In 2016, Jon Favreau's take on The Jungle Book was said to constitute live-action, given it mixed a human Mowgli (Neel Sethi) with photo-realistic CGI locations and animals. However, the same can't be said of The Lion King, as there are no human characters involved. Instead, it's entirely comprised of animal characters, rendered in the most gorgeous, eye-widening CGI that Hollywood is capable of.
So is the film animation or live-action? While the debate rages, there's no denying the movie is breaking new boundaries in terms of big-screen, blockbuster entertainment.
The time has come: click here to book your tickets for The Lion King and let us know @Cineworld when you've got yours.
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