Get ready for a new trip to The Pride Lands, as The Walt Disney Studios confirmed this morning that it’s partnering with Director Jon Favreau for a reimagining of THE LION KING, currently “on the fast track to production.” Given the success of Disney’s other recent live-action “contemporary” versions of its famous tales, it was pretty much expected that THE LION KING would eventually happen, but with the massive triumph of Favreau’s THE JUNGLE BOOK, he certainly proved that there’s no better person for the job.
Excited for my next project ??
— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) September 28, 2016
Favreau is currently working on THE LION KING alongside his sequel to THE JUNGLE BOOK, though no date has been set for either film. The next reimagined tale to hit will be next year’s Bill Condon-directed BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and with THE LION GUARD reaching a new generation (like my daughters) on Disney Junior, they’ll be more than ready for THE LION KING whenever it hits theaters. Now, can we hope that Favreau’s long-awaited MAGIC KINGDOM can finally get off the ground?
Read my JUNGLE BOOK Interview with Jon Favreau here.
Some LION KING stats courtesy of Disney:
The Lion King (1994) is one of the biggest animated films of all time with a lifetime global box office gross of $968.8 million, including $422.8 million domestically. It won Academy Awards for the original song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (Elton John, Tim Rice) and original score (Hans Zimmer), plus two Grammy Awards, with the soundtrack selling over 14 million copies. In 1997, the stage production The Lion King made its Broadway debut, winning six Tony Awards; 19 years later, it remains one of Broadway’s biggest hits alongside several other productions running around the world, including London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Madrid, Mexico City, Shanghai, and North America. Translated into eight different languages, its 23 global productions have been seen by more than 85 million people across every continent except Antarctica. The Lion King’s worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.
