The King Returns to Conquer Summer (Again)

Several years ago, Disney decided to remake its animated classics into live-action films for a new generation of viewers. It’s been hit and miss. This summer, Disney unveils the king of them all.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the greatest animated film of all time. The Lion King is the most popular/favorite-animated film of all time (it’s mine). This summer, Disney releases its live-action (CGI actually) remake. It features an all-star cast and crew. But instead of advertising the actors, Disney is selling the film’s characters and iconic sequences.

Disney’s strategy thus far has been to advertise their live-action reboots by reminding people what made them iconic in the first place. Their plan for The Lion King seems to be no different. So far the film’s marketing has promoted the adaptation as a shot-for-shot remake:

• The teaser recreates the animated film’s opening with amazing photo-realistic CGI
• In CinemaCon footage, it reproduced the iconic sequence where Mufasa gives life lessons to a young Simba
• Finally, in April, an Official Trailer was unveiled, populated with beloved characters recreating their famous songs and scenes

If Disney has learned anything with its franchises (Star Wars, Marvel), audiences want nostalgia and familiarity over originality (sorry The Last Jedi—I liked you!). The Lion King’s YouTube hits (over 32 million) are justification for the approach.

Disney’s live-action remakes of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Dumbo were okay. Pete’s Dragon and The Jungle Book were good, and early word for Aladdin is “eh.” The Lion King is the gold standard of Disney’s renaissance. After Dumbo’s lukewarm reception, Disney needs gold again.