‘Lion King’ reboot will make you cry, Disney film chief says. Here’s other hints he dropped about upcoming Disney projects

Feb 22, 2019

By Ari Rees

Disney’s got some major live-action projects in the works this year, and today we know a little bit more about them, including the much-anticipated “Lion King” reboot.

What happened: In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter this month, Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn said he has seen four cuts of Disney’s upcoming live-action “Lion King” reboot and it is a tear-jerker.

“Bring a handkerchief,” Horn said. “It’s so emotional.”
Horn said the film, which is directed by Jon Favreau of Disney’s live-action “The Jungle Book” reboot, has CGI animation so solid, “you cannot tell these animals aren’t real.”

Disney’s “Lion King” reboot has a star-studded cast including Donald Glover, Beyonce Knowles-Carter and James Earl Jones, and it joins a chorus of big Disney projects set to release later this year. Horn touched on a few of Disney’s projects in his interview with the Hollywood Reporter.

“Star Wars: Episode IX”: Perhaps Disney’s most highly anticipated film, alongside “Avengers: Endgame,” is “Star Wars: Episode IX.”

Horn said he’s spent time on set with the cast, and though he hasn’t seen a cut of the film yet, he’s seen “dailies every weekend” and says “it’s going to be terrific.”

“Aladdin”: Horn had several things to say about Disney’s spinoff and live-action projects, including the upcoming “Aladdin” movie, which he said he thinks is “a terrific film.”

“The thing about these big movies is they get a lot of attention, whether positive or negative. So when they don’t work, like “Solo,” the media says it’s a failure. I think it was a pretty good movie,” Horn said.

Disney Plus: Horn said staff members at Disney Animation and Pixar Studios are wearing more hats now to prioritize Disney’s upcoming streaming platform Disney Plus.

“Netflix and companies like Amazon represent the great disruption in our business and a seismic shift in consumer offerings and viewing patterns,” Horn said. “The interesting thing, which is not resolved yet, is how big is the consumer appetite for these incremental services? I like our chances.”
Horn said Disney producers may have three or four films released on the platform per year. Marvel is already planning a Loki series for the platform that follows Tom Hiddleston’s character, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Disney’s “Lion King” reboot will release July 19.

“Aladdin” will release May 24, and “Star Wars: Episode IX” is slated for release on Dec 20.