Jon Favreau Explains Why We Need The Lion King Remake

Anyone who has seen the animated film The Lion King would proudly say that it is a movie that can still make you feel like a kid seeing it for the first time. So why does Disney have to produce a remake of a true classic? Director Jon Favreau offers an explanation.

Favreau had previously invited io9 on the set of The Lion King remake where he openly admitted that people already have certain expectations when it comes to his new project. However, the filmmaker assures fans although they are watching something new, it will still hit them right in the feels.

"We're staying very, very close to what you think it's gonna be," he said. "I think part of it is just understanding the way memory works. What expectations are and then being able to do things like, ‘I think we can [improve] the humor here, I don't think this joke holds up as well, I think we could change the characterization of this character to feel more consistent with the rest of the film, or more current [so it] doesn't feel like it's something from a different era.'"

Favreau also pointed out that his work on The Jungle Book greatly influenced his decision to take on The Lion King. After all, the original animated films used similar techniques and technology has changed so much since then.

"Between the quality of the rendering and the techniques we're using, it starts to hopefully feel like you're watching something that's not a visual effects production but something where you're just looking into a world that's very realistic," Favreau said. "And, emotionally, feels as realistic as if you're watching live creatures. And that's kind of the trick here because I don't think anybody wants to see another animated Lion King, because [the original] still holds up really, really well. But what gave me some encouragement was the work we were able to do on Jungle Book. I saw it as a great opportunity to springboard, refine the tools, and do [that] process for this."

Overall, there is some new to look forward to in The Lion King. Will it be better than the original? It seems unlikely but the remake is a great way to experience the beauty of the animated classic using new technology.

The Lion King will premiere on July 19.

Related: The Lion King TV Spot Features Mufasa Giving Simba An Important Reminder