Moviefone Editorial

Tag: the lion king

  • Every Live-Action Disney Remake, Ranked

    (L to R) Afia (voiced Anika Noni Rose), Young Mufasa (voiced by Braelyn Rankins) and Masego (voiced by Keith David) in Disney’s 'Mufasa: The Lion King'. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights
    (L to R) Afia (voiced Anika Noni Rose), Young Mufasa (voiced by Braelyn Rankins) and Masego (voiced by Keith David) in Disney’s ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2024 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights

    Walt Disney Pictures began adapting their classic animated movies into live-action films in the mid-90s to varied results.

    For every box office hit like ‘Beauty and the Beast‘, ‘Aladdin‘, and ‘The Lion King‘, there have been box office failures like ‘Pinocchio‘, ‘Dumbo‘, or ‘Lady and the Tramp‘.

    Opening in theaters on December 20th is the new live-action prequel to 2019’s ‘The Lion King’, entitled ‘Mufasa: The Lion King‘. In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down every live -action Disney remake of an animated film ever made.

    Let’s begin!

    23. ‘Pinocchio‘ (2022)

    Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), Tom Hanks as Geppetto, and Figaro in Disney's live-action 'Pinocchio.'
    (L-R): Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), Tom Hanks as Geppetto, and Figaro in Disney’s live-action ‘Pinocchio,’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis directs this live action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his “conscience”; Academy Award® nominee Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key is “Honest” John; Academy Award® nominee Lorraine Bracco is Sofia the Seagull, a new character, and Luke Evans is The Coachman. Also in the cast are Kyanne Lamaya as Fabiana (and her marionette Sabina), Giuseppe Battiston as Señor Stromboli and Lewin Lloyd as Lampwick.

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    22. ‘The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story‘ (1998)

    Told from Mowgli’s point of view, it’s the story of how a boy became a mancub and a mancub became a man.

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    21. ‘The Jungle Book‘ (1994)

    Raised by wild animals since childhood, Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee) is drawn away from the jungle by the beautiful Kitty. But Mowgli must eventually face corrupt Capt. Boone, who wants both Kitty’s hand and the treasures of Monkey City – a place only Mowgli can find.

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    20. ‘Dumbo‘ (2019)

    2019's 'Dumbo'. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
    2019’s ‘Dumbo’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.

    A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer.

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    19. ‘102 Dalmatians‘ (2000)

    Get ready for a howling good time as an all new assortment of irresistible animal heroes are unleashed in this great family tail! In an unlikely alliance, the outrageous Waddlesworth – a parrot who thinks he’s a Rottweiler – teams up with Oddball – an un-marked Dalmatian puppy eager to earn her spots! Together they embark on a laugh-packed quest to outwit the ever-scheming Cruella De Vil (Glenn Close).

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    18. ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice‘ (2010)

    Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar can’t do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness.

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    17. ‘The Jungle Book‘ (2016)

    A man-cub named Mowgli (Neel Sethi) fostered by wolves. After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba), Mowgli is forced to flee the jungle, by which he embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of the panther, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and the free-spirited bear, Baloo (Bill Murray).

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    16. ‘Christopher Robin‘ (2018)

    Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor), the boy who had countless adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood, has grown up and lost his way. Now it’s up to his spirited and loveable stuffed animals, Winnie The Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and the rest of the gang, to rekindle their friendship and remind him of endless days of childlike wonder and make-believe, when doing nothing was the very best something.

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    15. ‘Lady and the Tramp‘ (2019)

    2019's 'Lady and the Tramp'. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
    2019’s ‘Lady and the Tramp’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.

    The love story between a pampered Cocker Spaniel named Lady (Tessa Thompson) and a streetwise mongrel named Tramp (Justin Theroux). Lady finds herself out on the street after her owners have a baby and is saved from a pack by Tramp, who tries to show her to live her life footloose and collar-free.

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    14. ‘Peter Pan & Wendy‘ (2023)

    Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson), a young girl afraid to leave her childhood home behind, meets Peter Pan (Alexander Molony), a boy who refuses to grow up. Alongside her brothers and a tiny fairy, Tinker Bell (Yara Shahidi), she travels with Peter to the magical world of Neverland. There, she encounters an evil pirate captain, Captain Hook (Jude Law), and embarks on a thrilling adventure that will change her life forever.

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    13. ‘101 Dalmatians‘ (1996)

    An evil, high-fashion designer (Glenn Close) plots to steal Dalmatian puppies in order to make an extravagant fur coat, but instead creates an extravagant mess.

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    12. ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass‘ (2016)

    Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) returns to Underland and faces a new adventure in saving the Mad Hatter.

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    11. ‘Mulan‘ (2020)

    When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Chinese Army to defend the country from Huns, Hua Mulan (Liu Yifei), the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. She is spirited, determined and quick on her feet. Disguised as a man by the name of Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her innermost strength and embrace her true potential.

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    10. ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil‘ (2019)

    Angelina Jolie in 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil'. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
    Angelina Jolie in ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.

    Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and her goddaughter Aurora (Elle Fanning) begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies, and dark new forces at play.

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    9. ‘Mufasa: The Lion King‘ (2024)

    Rafiki (John Kani) relays the legend of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) to lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé), with Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion a journey of misfits searching for their destiny and working together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.

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    8. ‘Aladdin‘ (2019)

    A kindhearted street urchin named Aladdin (Mean Massoud) embarks on a magical adventure after finding a lamp that releases a wisecracking genie (Will Smith) while a power-hungry Grand Vizier vies for the same lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.

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    7. ‘Maleficent‘ (2014)

    A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. She rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her heart into stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading King’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora (Elle Fanning). As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.

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    6. ‘The Lion King‘ (2019)

    Simba (Donald Glover) idolizes his father, King Mufasa (James Earl Jones), and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), 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.

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    5. ‘Cinderella‘ (2015)

    (L to R) Lily James and Richard Madden in 'Cinderella'. Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
    (L to R) Lily James and Richard Madden in ‘Cinderella’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios.

    When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella (Lily James) finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, Ella’s fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger (Richard Madden) in the woods.

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    4. ‘The Little Mermaid‘ (2023)

    The youngest of King Triton’s (Javier Bardem) daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel (Halle Bailey) longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). With mermaids forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.

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    3. ‘Cruella‘ (2021)

    In 1970s London, amidst the punk rock revolution, a young grifter named Estella (Emma Stone), a clever and creative girl, is determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute. But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.

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    2. ‘Alice in Wonderland‘ (2010)

    Alice (Mia Wasikowska), now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny.

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    1. ‘Beauty and the Beast‘ (2017)

    (L to R) Dan Stevens and Emma Watson in 'Beauty and the Beast'. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.
    (L to R) Dan Stevens and Emma Watson in ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.

    A live-action adaptation of Disney’s version of the classic tale of a cursed prince (Dan Stevens) and a beautiful young woman (Emma Watson) who helps him break the spell.

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  • Legendary Actor James Earl Jones Dies Aged 93

    James Earl Jones in 'Coming to America.' Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    James Earl Jones in ‘Coming to America.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    Preview:

    • Legendary actor James Earl Jones passes away at 93
    • He was best known for his role as the voice of Darth Vader
    • Jones is one of the few actors who have won the EGOT

    Distinguished actor James Earl Jones passed away this Monday in his home in Dutchess County, New York, at the age of 93. Jones is known for roles such as the voice of Darth Vador in ‘Star Wars’, Terence Mann in ‘Field of Dreams,’ and the voice of Mufasa in ‘The Lion King.’

    Jones had a prominent career both on the big screen and on stage, and is known as one of the few actors to have won the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). During his 60-year career, Jones has about 200 credits, including ‘Star Wars,’ ‘The Field of Dreams,’ ‘The Lion King,’ ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ ‘The Sandlot’ and more.

    A Look Back At His Work

    James Earl Jones as Darth Vader in 'Star Wars'. Photo: Lucasfilm.
    James Earl Jones as Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars’. Photo: Lucasfilm.

    James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931, in Arkabutla, MS. Overcoming his stutter as a child, Jones made his Broadway debut in the play ‘The Egghead’ in 1957. Soon, he became one of the best-known Shakespearean actors of the time, acting in plays such as Othello, King Lear, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ and more.

    He made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr. Lovestreange or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb’ as young Lt. Lothar Sogg. In 1970, Jones played the lead role of Jack Johnson in ‘The Great White Hope’, which will earn him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He was the second African-American male performer to be nominated for the award.

    Jones went on to make his mark as the voice of Darth Vader in the ‘Star Wars’ trilogy in 1977. A voice so iconic and commanding, with quotes like “No, I am your father.”, “I find your lack of faith disturbing” is forever ingrained in pop culture

    Stars Remembering James Earl Jones

    (L to R) James Earl Jones, Kevin Costner and Amy Madigan in 'Field of Dreams.' Photo:
    (L to R) James Earl Jones, Kevin Costner and Amy Madigan in ‘Field of Dreams.’ Photo:
    Universal Pictures.

    During his long career, Jones worked with an extensive list of actors, directors, and producers, who paid tribute to to him:

    Mark Hamill wrote “RIP dad” next to a heartbreak emoji on his X account, as well as the below statement to The Associated Press:

    “One of the world’s finest actors whose contributions to ‘Star Wars’ were immeasurable. He’ll be greatly missed.”

    Actor LeVar Burton also wrote on X:

    James Earl Jones… there will never be another of his particular combination of graces.

    — LeVar Burton (@levarburton) September 9, 2024

    Disney CEO Bob Iger released the following in a statement:

    “From the gentle wisdom of Mufasa to the menacing threat of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones gave voice to some of the greatest characters in cinema history. A celebrated stage actor with nearly 200 film and television credits to his name, the stories he brought to life with a uniquely commanding presence and a true richness of spirit have left an indelible mark on generations of audiences.”

    Actress Octavia Spencer posted her sentiment on Instagram:

    “Legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever. His voice and talent will be remembered always. Sending love to his family, friends and countless fans in all the galaxies, far, far away.”

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Octavia Spencer (@octaviaspencer)

    Jones was married to Cecilia Hart, who passed in 2016. He is survived by his son, Flynn Earl Jones.

    James Earl Jones as the voice of Mufasa in 'The Lion King'. Photo: Disney.
    James Earl Jones as the voice of Mufasa in ‘The Lion King’. Photo: Disney.

    James Earl Jones Movies:

    Buy James Earl Jones Movies On Amazon

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  • ‘The Lion King’ Passes ‘Frozen’ as Highest-Grossing Animated Film Of All-Time

    ‘The Lion King’ Passes ‘Frozen’ as Highest-Grossing Animated Film Of All-Time

    Disney

    Give a new crown to “The Lion King.”

    Disney’s new version of its animated classic already passed past $1 billion at the global box office. Now, it has another achievement to roar about: It bounded past “Frozen” to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

    Last weekend, the remake added $71.4 million for a grand total of $1.33 billion, surpassing “Frozen’s” haul of $1.27 billion.

    “The Lion King” debuted on July 19 with a massive $185 million opening weekend. It became the fourth member of the billion-dollar Disney club this year, after “Captain Marvel,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and the live-action remake of “Aladdin.”

    The remake deploys photorealistic CGI and features an all-star cast including Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé as Nala, Seth Rogen as warthog Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as meerkat Timon, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, and James Earl Jones once again as Mufasa.

  • Box Office: ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Dominates With $60 Million Debut

    Box Office: ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Dominates With $60 Million Debut

    Universal

    Universal’s “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” easily took first place this weekend with $60.8 million.

    The spinoff, starring Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, and Vanessa Kirby, is expected to be an even bigger draw overseas. “Hobbs & Shaw” launched internationally with $120 million for a global start of $180 million. That’s impressive, although it’s still got to earn back its sizable $200 million budget.

    Its $60 million domestic opening weekend marks the biggest debut for Johnson and Statham outside of the “Fast & Furious” franchise.  It’s also Universal’s fifth-highest grossing global launch ever, after “The Fate of the Furious,” “Jurassic World,” “Furious 7” and “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

    The film has an “A-” CinemaScore and a 90% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

    Margot Robbie in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
    Sony Pictures Releasing

    Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” had a strong second weekend in theaters, landing in third place. The R-rated drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie collected $20 million,  a 51% decline from its first weekend. After 10 days, the film has made $78 million in North America.

    The Lion King
    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    Meanwhile, “The Lion King” was No. 2 with a solid $38 million. It’s the fourth Disney movie this year to cross $400 million in domestic ticket sales. With $430 million in North America and $1.19 billion internationally, “The Lion King” is now the second-biggest film of the year both domestically and globally.

    Neon

    In limited release, “Luce” debuted with  $132,916 from five locations. The psychological drama starring Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts has a 94% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes: Audiences have so far given it a 74% rating. It boasted the highest per-screen-average of the weekend, with $26,583 per theater.

    IFC Films

    The period revenge thriller “The Nightingale,” the second film from “The Babadook” director Jennifer Kent, debuted at 2 locations with $40,082 — a second-best per-screen average of $20,041.

    Here are the top 10 estimates for August 2-4, 2019

    1. “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” $60,800,000
    2. “The Lion King” (2019), $38,246,000
    3. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” $20,025,000
    4. “Spider-Man: Far from Home,” $7,755,000
    5. “Toy Story 4,” $7,150,000
    6. “Yesterday,” $2,440,000
    7. “The Farewell,” $2,429,114
    8. “Crawl,” $2,150,000
    9. “Aladdin” (2019),  $2,018,000
    10. “Annabelle Comes Home,” $875,000

    [Via Variety]

  • ‘The Lion King’ Crosses $1 Billion at Global Box Office

    ‘The Lion King’ Crosses $1 Billion at Global Box Office

    Disney

    “The Lion King” can really feel the love from the box office.

    Disney’s live-action remake of its 1994 animated classic has crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office after just 19 days in release.

    “The Lion King” debuted on July 19 with a massive $185 million opening weekend. 

    It became the fourth member of the billion-dollar Disney club this year, after “Captain Marvel,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and the live-action remake of “Aladdin.”

    The remake deploys photorealistic CGI and features an all-star cast including Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé as Nala, Seth Rogen as warthog Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as meerkat Timon, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, and James Earl Jones once again as Mufasa.

  • Box Office: ‘Lion King’ Still Rules, Tarantino Has Biggest Opening Ever With ‘Once Upon a Time…’

    Box Office: ‘Lion King’ Still Rules, Tarantino Has Biggest Opening Ever With ‘Once Upon a Time…’

    Sony Pictures

    “The Lion King” still reigned at the box office this weekend, but Quentin Tarantino‘s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was the must-see movie, with a record-setting debut to land in second place.

    Tarantino’s nostalgic, R-rated ode to the Hollywood of 50 years ago opened with $40 million from 3,659 North American theaters, a career best for the filmmaker. Sony had forecast a more modest $30 million opening for the film, which is set in Los Angeles in 1969 and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as an aging western star and Brad Pitt as his stunt double and best friend. It also scored an opening-day record for Tarantino, with a $16.8 million haul on Friday.

    [Here’s the obligatory gif of an emotional DiCaprio in the film, who’s just been told by a young costar that his acting was “the best she’s ever seen.”]

    Sony

    “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” surpassed Tarantino’s previous best opening weekend, which was “Inglorious Basterds” ($38 million). The 2009 revisionist WWII drama, which also starred Pitt, earned a total of $120 million in North America  and $321 million worldwide. “Django Unchained,” Tarantino’s biggest box office success, debuted with $30 million over the holidays in 2012, and went on to earn $425 million worldwide.

    His new film, which also costars Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, cost $90 million to produce, making it one of his most expensive movies. According to THR, DiCaprio took a $5 million pay cut from his usual $20 million asking price to get the film made. But he stands to make more than $45 million, thanks to his back-end deal.

    Audiences gave it a “B” CinemaScore, slightly down from the  “A-” earned by “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained.”

    Disney

    Meanwhile, “The Lion King” collected another $75.5 million, down roughly 60% from its first weekend. The remake has racked up $350 million at the domestic box office, making it the fourth-biggest release of the year after 10 days in theaters. Overseas, “The Lion King” has earned $612 million for a global total of $963 million.

    Disney now owns the five-highest grossing movies of the year with “Avengers: Endgame” ($856 million), “Captain Marvel” ($426 million), “Toy Story 4” ($395 million), “The Lion King” ($350 million) and “Aladdin” ($345 million).

    Sony is doing well with the No. 2 and No. 3 films at the moment: “Spider-Man: Far from Home” is in third place its fourth weekend. Spidey is still a Sony-owned character, despite Marvel sharing him with the Disney-owned MCU.

    Here are the top 10 estimates for July 26-28, 2019

    1. “The Lion King” (2019), $75,524,000
    2. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” $40,350,000
    3. “Spider-Man: Far from Home,” $12,200,000
    4. “Toy Story 4,” $9,872,000
    5. “Crawl,” $4,000,000
    6. “Yesterday,” $3,000,000
    7. “Aladdin” (2019), $2,788,000
    8. “Stuber,” $1,679,000
    9. “Annabelle Comes Home,” $1,560,000
    10. “The Farewell,” $1,553,864

    [Via Variety]

  • ‘The Lion King’ Is Fading Faster Than Expected, ‘Once’ Could Be Tarantino’s Biggest Movie Yet

    ‘The Lion King’ Is Fading Faster Than Expected, ‘Once’ Could Be Tarantino’s Biggest Movie Yet

    Disney

    While “The Lion King” roared into theaters with a stunning $191 million, its staying power is looking less majestic.

    Deadline reports that the Jon Favreau-directed remake is taking a bigger hit than was originally expected with an estimated haul of $77-$78.5 million for its second weekend. That’s a a shockingly low figure compared to recent Disney remake “Beauty and the Beast,” which took in $90 million in its second weekend.

    Running total for “The Lion King” after 10 days is estimated to be $353.8M, which is about where “Beauty and the Beast” was, with $319 million after 10 days.

    Sony

    Although it has no chance of snatching “The Lion King’”s number one spot this weekend, Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is currently tracking closer to a $40 million opening than early estimates of $30 million. If it passes $38 million, it will be a record opening for Tarantino, beating “Inglourious Basterds.”

    The film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, had a stellar preview night at the box office Thursday, bringing in $5.8 million from showtimes that began at 4 p.m.

    In Los Angeles, 70MM shows of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” at the Cinerama Dome are reportedly sold out. Fandango reported earlier this week that the movie is the best advance ticket pre-seller ever for Tarantino.

    [Via Deadline]

  • Box Office: ‘Lion King’ Debuts With Massive $185 Million, ‘Endgame’ Finally Passes ‘Avatar’

    Box Office: ‘Lion King’ Debuts With Massive $185 Million, ‘Endgame’ Finally Passes ‘Avatar’

    Disney

    Despite lukewarm critics’ reviews, audiences turned out in droves for “The Lion King.” Director Jon Favreau’s remake of the beloved 1994 classic collected a massive $185 million during its first three days of release in North America.

    It was the best-ever domestic launch for a PG film and set a new record for July. It’s also the second-best domestic debut of the year behind “Avengers: Endgame” ($357 million).

    Overseas, “The Lion King” took in $269 million for a global start of $433 million. The movie launched in China last weekend and has since earned $98 million, bringing its worldwide haul to $531 million.

    Audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore and an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, much higher than the critics’ RT score of 54%.

    “The Lion King” remake also had the strongest debut of Disney’s live-action remakes, easily besting “Beauty and the Beast”  ($174 million), “Alice in Wonderland” ($116 million) and “The Jungle Book” (also directed by Favreau) which debuted with $103 million. In May, “Aladdin” opened with $91.5 million and is nearing the $1 billion mark globally. Tim Burton’s “Dumbo,” however, had a disappointing bow of $45 million earlier this year.

    Marvel Studios

    Meanwhile, “Avengers: Endgame” crossed $2.7892 billion at the global box office, officially dethroning the 10-year record of James Cameron’s “Avatar.”

    A24

    A24 expanded “The Farewell” to 35 locations in its second weekend, generating $1.17 million for 11th place. The Lulu Wang drama starring Awkwafina debuts nationwide on August 2. Its per-screen average was $33,473, just behind “The Lion King’s” average of $39,153.

    Neon

    In honor of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing,  documentary “Apollo 11” returned to theaters, earning $75,000 from 107 venues. With $9 million in North America, it’s now the highest grossing non-fiction film of 2019. Neon has the three biggest docs of the year so far with the Aretha Franklin film “Amazing Grace” ($4.5 million) and “The Biggest Little Farm” ($4 million).

    Here are the top 10 estimates for July 19-21, 2019

    1. “The Lion King” (2019), $185,000,000
    2. “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” $21,000,000
    3 . “Toy Story 4,” $14,600,000
    4. “Crawl,” $6,000,000
    5. “Yesterday,” $5,100,000
    6. “Stuber,” $4,000,000
    7. “Aladdin” (2019), $3,800,000
    8. “Annabelle Comes Home,” $2,660,000
    9. “Midsommar,” $1,599,155
    10. “The Secret Life of Pets 2,” 1,530,000

    [Via Variety]

  • ‘The Lion King’ Composer Hans Zimmer on Why He Never Scored Another Animated Disney Movie

    ‘The Lion King’ Composer Hans Zimmer on Why He Never Scored Another Animated Disney Movie

    Disney

    One of the more memorable aspects of the original “The Lion King” (and, keep in mind, that was a movie made up almost exclusively of memorable aspects) was the score by Hans Zimmer. Zimmer, a composer who, by that point, had already worked with Barry Levinson, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Ron Howard, and Penny Marshall, commanded your attention from the opening frames of the film, as his bombastic “Circle of Life” brought every audience member to the savanna with jolting force. From then on, he helped give the movie scope and weight and added considerably to the songs written (quite quickly) by Elton John and Tim Rice.

    So it’s no surprise that Disney re-enlisted Zimmer for their gorgeous 3D animated version, opening this weekend. He was an essential part of the original film’s success and he’s an essential part of the success of the redo. (Zimmer even managed to recruit his buddy Pharrell Williams to help on the updated tracks.)

    We were lucky enough to sit down with Zimmer in Beverly Hills recently, where we talked about the original film (which he won an Oscar for), whether or not he was interested in coming back to Pride Rock, why he never returned to work on another Disney Animation movie and what Pharrell brought to the production.


    Moviefone: So let’s talk about the written the original movie first because from what I understand, the songs were written pretty quickly and you gave them the scope that they ended up with.

    Hans Zimmer: I don’t ever really know the complete history, but I don’t think I was the first call. I think a few people had to go at it at the songs. And then they got the idiot who didn’t know how to write a musical. I kept saying, “I don’t want to write a musical.”

    I just had this idea that it should start with this African voice. It should be very atypical to a Disney movie, you know, and I sat there was Elton … you know, I’m such an Elton fan, so I could either be terrified and try to absolutely slavishly copy what he was doing or try and make it my own. And the brief was go and make these western songs into African. So I remember getting it completely wrong. They had said to me, “We want 30 seconds of ‘Circle of Life.’ Then it’s a dialogue scene.” Then I started off with the Lebo M. thing and then I did the whole song and the second chorus is different than the first because I had another idea and it’s endless.

    Don Hahn and the directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff came in and I played them this thing. And as I’m playing it to them and I’m going, “Shit, they asked me for 30 seconds and then dialogue scene and here’s this four-minute thing with the big drum hit at the end,” which is only there because they were coming in and I didn’t have time to do anything else. It’s a total accident. And they went off and huddled in a corner and they were talking and I thought they were basically talking about how they’re going to fire me. And I wandered over to them and said, “Look, if I it’s supposed to be 30 seconds and then get quiet, I can do that.” They said: “No, no, no, no, no, no. We’re not talking about that. We’re talking about how we’re going to change the whole scene, take all that dialogue out because this works great.” I was unleashed at that moment.

    But did you feel like you were really contributing to this movie?

    The other things is I’m telling you the truth. The truth that never was revealed. I never saw a script, so it was just a room, roughly this size with storyboards. They were still making things up as they went. And Roger and Rob were shoving a stick at the storyboards, trying to tell me the story. They’d get stuck at a certain place where they would start arguing amongst themselves about which way the story was going to go. And I’d just be sitting there, waiting for them to finish the argument. And we never got to the end of the movie.

    You never did another Disney animated movie. You did “Prince of Egypt” and many films for DreamWorks, but you never came back to Disney. Why?

    Well I wasn’t asked.

    Did something happen?

    David Katzenberg left and I thought he was interesting and I started working with him. It’s only fair. That’s what happened. Plus, it was like such a weirdly individual movie. I was the one who was saying no all the time. I didn’t want to do this movie. I okay, I’ll do this movie, but I don’t like musicals. And them saying, “We promise you it will never turn into a Broadway musical.” So it was all like this. Okay, I’ll do it because I wanted to take my daughter, who was six-years-old. I want to show off a dad. I’d be honest about it. That’s why I’m doing it.

    Next thing I know, I’m confronted with the death of a father. My dad died when I was six years old, so I’m her age and I’ve tucked all these dark memories away. And now suddenly I need to go and open those dark places because what else? How else am I going to write? You know what I mean? So that, that actually was relatively heavy.

    You don’t want to do it. You do it. It’s a massive hit.

    Massive hit? Let me tell you a story. Give me a story. Right. Oscars. Win an Oscar. Have a fabulous night. Partied all night. 10 o’clock. I’m having a meeting with Tony Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson on “Crimson Tide.” I just won an Oscar, they don’t even mention it. I played them the first piece I’d written and they go, “It’s completely wrong.” And it was like boom back to reality and that was good. You know what I mean? There’s nothing more pretentious than somebody going, “I just won an Oscar.” It’s like, I didn’t even get to say that sentence to these guys. It’s like, roll up your sleeve, why are you late? Let’s get to work.

    Disney

    Well, was there any trepidation for you coming back to this? Was there or was it just sort of like, if they’re doing it, you want to be a part of it?

    There was a bit. But there was also a sense of ownership. Plus, I know this sounds really crazy, but there are always bits in it, which bugged me a little bit, which I thought I could have done better. Who gets a chance to redo? Nobody in the world ever complained about these things., I had this weird experience where, my musician friends kicked me out of the studio going, “There comes a point in every film composer’s life where you have to actually look the audience in the eye and stop hiding in your dark room and hiding behind a screen.” And for one reason or the other I ended up playing “Lion King” at Coachella, which I thought was totally inappropriate until I played it. And I’m going, “Whoa, look at this.” All these people are really … there’s an honesty in the emotion. It’s not sentimental. I’m having my shit hot band performing. I thought, well let’s make that more, it’s about performing.

    Can you talk about Pharrell? What did bring to this?

    Honesty, knowledge, and he protected me whenever I was going totally insane, which I have a tendency to do. I get overwhelmed by the task at hand. We’ve known each other for such a long time. And through ups and downs and thicks and thins, et cetera. One of the things I don’t think people really realize is if you really want to produce a vocalist, you have to be a singer. So Pharrell was vital in that. I was trying to make Seth feel comfortable, but Pharrell got a performance.

    “The Lion King” is everywhere starting tonight.

  • Watch Beyoncé’s Music Video for New ‘Lion King’ Original Song ‘Spirit’

    Watch Beyoncé’s Music Video for New ‘Lion King’ Original Song ‘Spirit’

    Disney

    Can you feel the love tonight (and all nights and days) for Beyoncé? Yes, from the rapturous reception the superstar singer got for the music video for her new “Lion King” original song, “Spirit.”

    The video, which debuted during an ABC primetime special Tuesday night, features stunning visuals — and a buzzy cameo by Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy.

    “Spirit” is the first track from the compilation album “The Lion King: The Gift,” which was produced and curated by Beyoncé. It features songs by Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Pharrell, and more, and will be released Friday, July 19.

    “Each song was written to reflect the film’s storytelling that gives the listener a chance to imagine their own imagery, while listening to a new contemporary interpretation,” Beyoncé said in a statement about the album.

    As for “Spirit,” Beyoncé wrote and produced the song along with IIya Salmanzadeh and Timothy McKenzie.