First Look At Animatronic Mufasa Model From Live-Action Lion King Remake [UPDATED]

Disclaimer: Multiple sources, including CBR and Screen Rant, have confirmed that the photos below are not from The Lion King, and were actually created by Chris Kunzmann, who owns the company Chris Creatures. Disney contacted @disneyfilmfacts, the original source of the story, to inform them of their error.

After the roaring success (sorry) of Disney’s live -action Jungle Book remake, it came as no surprise that the studio also recruited director Jon Favreau to helm a live-action remake of another of their most popular animated movies, The Lion King.

Although filming completed towards the end of 2017, we’ve seen very little of Favreau’s Lion King movie, until now. Thanks to The Nerdy Basement, we’ve been given our first look at the animatronic model of Mufasa, the father of the protagonist, Simba. As you can see from the images below, the model looks just like a real lion, so much so that it seems like it could come alive at any minute. Just like in the 1994 original, Mufasa will be voiced by Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones, and no other voice seems more appropriate for the mighty king of the Pride Lands.

Unlike The Jungle Book, which was almost entirely CGI, The Lion King will mix computer-generated imagery with animatronic models, and the end result should be nothing short of extraordinary. The Jungle Book took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, so it seems likely that The Lion King will also win the prestigious award.

The Lion King will also feature the voice talents of Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Florence Kasumba, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, John Oliver, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mufasa’s conniving brother, Scar. It will open in wide release in the UK and the US on July 19, 2019.

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