Could 2019’s The Lion King be better than the original?

The hype around 2019’s The Lion King live-action film is real. As exciting as it is, could the film end up eclipsing the original?

The buzz around Disney’s live-action The Lion King is real. Whether it be Twitter, other outlets or just people talking, everyone is sharing their excitement. Considering how beloved the 1994 animated film was, it’s to be expected. The original is a film that still captivates audiences, both young and old.

1994’s The Lion King is a brilliant film with very few flaws. It’s dark but still has an air of lightness to it for audiences to enjoy. Overall, the film is one of the best, if not the best-animated feature Disney has ever produced. With such high praise though, it’s tough to look at the 2019 live-action version and not question it. Mostly, could 2019’s live-action The Lion King be better than the original?

It’s a controversial question, no doubt as the 1994 version is one that kids born in the 90s grew up with. As good as the 1994 version is, there are some things that the new version could iron out. We could get a little bit more backstory into Scar as featured in The Lion Guard or giving Nala a bigger role than just being Simba’s love interest as done with Jasmine in the new Aladdin live-action film.

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Where the 1994 film missed out most was focusing on Simba’s character. It seems like Mufasa’s gone and then Simba finds Timon and Pumbaa so he’s fine. In reality, that’s not who things work and we didn’t see Simba deal with his grief. It’s a major miss by Disney but hopefully, it will be fixed in the new film. If so, this could be an important lesson for kids to learn as losing someone is tough and the feeling doesn’t go away in an instant.

Characters aren’t the only thing 2019 could do better. With this “live-action” reboot, the film has a chance to become even more real. Even though it’s CGI, we’ll see the animals as they’re supposed to look rather than a stylized version. The same can be said about the setting as the Pride Lands will come to life before our very eyes. It might take some getting used to, but it adds a new layer of reality to the story.

Where the new film can really outshine the old is with music. Unlike the previous film, the two leads are musicians. It’s going to be exciting to see their take on an old classic and make it their own. With the short clip of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight?” we’ve heard, Beyonce and Donald Glover are going to kill it. While we haven’t heard much of the other songs, that short clip could end up being the best in the film.

To answer the question simply: Yes, 2019’s The Lion King could be better than the original. Even if it doesn’t fix everything, it has the potential to be better. For some, the original will always reign supreme and that’s fine. For others, the new one will be the better of the two. Regardless, it’ll be exciting to see what the 2019 version keeps and what they change.

Will you be going to see The Lion King when it comes out? Do you think it could be better than the original? I’d love to know in the comments!

The Lion King hits theaters on July 19, 2019.