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Disney Goes High-Tech to Draw Fans to New 'Lion King'

Reuters

   LOS ANGELES - Walt Disney Co. has taken a high-tech route to remake
   animated classic "The Lion King" with the look of a nature documentary,
   an update it hopes will lure audiences to a new version of a film
   considered a masterpiece the first time.

   The re-telling of the 1994 tale about the lion cub Simba, which opens
   in theaters around the world this week, was created with computer
   animation, gaming technology and virtual reality, plus live-action
   filmmaking techniques, director Jon Favreau said.

   The goal was to provide a "photo-real" look for expressive animals and
   African vistas, Favreau said. "Lion King" follows recent remakes of
   Disney classics such as "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and Favreau's
   "The Jungle Book."

   Remaking a well-known movie is "tricky," Disney Chief Executive Bob
   Iger acknowledged to reporters at the European premiere for "The Lion
   King" in London. "But we feel great about where we are with this film
   and with the remakes in general."

   "When you are dealing with something like 'The Lion King,' which we
   consider a crown jewel, there's a challenge to that," he said. Besides
   using new technology, filmmakers revise storylines to make them feel
   relatable to modern moviegoers, he said.

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