'The Lion King' Trailer: Disney Brings Life Full Circle In Gorgeous New Trailer

Be prepared for a double dose of Disney nostalgia this summer, with both The Lion King and Aladdin set to bring our favorite animated classics to live-action life. Though in the case of The Lion King, it's not quite live-action as the entire film is done in CG animation. However, as we see in the first official The Lion King trailer, that CG animation is breathtakingly beautiful. Watch the trailer below.

Whatever you think about Disney's live-action remakes of their animated classics, you can't deny that The Lion King looks gorgeous. Director Jon Favreau has perfected the cutting-edge CG technology that he used to stunning effect in 2016's The Jungle Book. In a time when several movies have tried, and often failed, to bring "realism" to animated properties with CG (see the upcoming Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog movies for examples of both), The Lion King is undoubtedly impressive in bringing to life the beloved characters first introduced in the 1994 movie without the uncanny valley of pasting too many human characteristics on them.

The trailer itself is fine. We get our requisite familiar shots that feed into our affection for the original film's iconography, with the new angle of it all looking like a nature documentary. But as someone who is jaded with these countless Disney "live-action" remakes, I will say that hearing James Earl Jones once again voice Mufasa sent chills down my spine. Maybe I'm the audience for this after all.

The Lion King stars the voices of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon.

Here is the official synopsis for The Lion King:

Disney's "The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau ("The Jungle Book"), journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar, Mufasa's brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

The Lion King opens in U.S. theaters on July 19, 2019.