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Disney’s The Lion King Roars into Theaters

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Disney’s The Lion King Roars into Theaters

By Ella Barone

The Lion King is to this day, one of my favorite Disney films. From the beautiful soundtrack to the lovable characters, everything about the film is just excellent. When I found out that they were creating a live-action for the movie I just about freaked. The beautiful animals were going to be seen on screen like never before, and the fantastic songs were going to be sung once again.

I was lucky enough to see the film a few days before the general public and develop my opinions, which we’re all amazing. The first thing I noticed about the film was the beautiful scenery. The whole movie was done using CGI and animation technology, and if you didn’t know that, you could have never guessed. Everything looked as if you could reach out and feel the textures off of the screen.

Also, the talent in the film was phenomenal. Not only were there singer/songwriters, but also amazing actors and actresses. Some of them included Beyonce Knowles-Carter, Donald Glover, Seth Rogan, and so many more. To make the film even better, there is a brand new song that is sung by Beyonce. I won’t spoil anything for you, but I can tell you that you will absolutely love it.

The songs were sung once again, and I felt my heart swell when I heard them. These songs were a part of my childhood and hearing them resung by the amazing talent that is a massive part of modern music made me feel like I could relate to the film in a more modern aspect.

The story of the Lion King is the classic original tale, but with the interpretation comes new and old. We get the same characters and the same story, but the emotions and the way it looks on the screen are entirely different.

The funniest thing in the film was the Pumbaa and Timon duo. They kept the pair of jokesters and had me laughing throughout the entire movie. There were multiple points where I couldn’t hear the dialogue because of all the laughter in the audience. The characters couldn’t have been better.

The all-new Lion King is out in theaters now. You and your family will absolutely love this new film and all it has to offer. 

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THE LION KING is in theaters everywhere NOW!

The Incredible Cast of The Lion King

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The Incredible Cast of The Lion King

By Ella Barone

All new, Disney’s The Lion King lives up to all of the hype around it. The film is beautifully composed with jaw-dropping performances from actors and singers like Donald Glover, Beyonce, Seth Rogan, Billy Eichner and more. Recently I had the opportunity to listen to some of these talented people at the 2019 press junket that took place in Los Angeles. The cast that was there included, Donald Glover (Simba), Seth Rogan (Pumba), Billy Eichner (Timon), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), Alfre Woodard (Sarabi), Keegan-Michael Key (Kamari), Florence Kasumba (Shenzi),  Eric Andre (Azizi), John Kani (Rafiki), JD McCrary (Young Simba), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Young Nala), Director Jon Favreau, Composer Hans Zimmer, and Lebo M.

We were treated to a very special performance of “The Circle of Life” before the start of the junket. Once everyone took their seats on stage, the moderator opened with a question directed at Jon Favreau. She asked him what he figured out when making the movie Jungle Book and how it helped him with this film. Favreau answered by telling her and the audience that, “these are handmade films. There is animators working on every shot, every environment that you see in the film other than actually, there’s one shot that’s a real photographic shot, but everything else is built from scratch by artists.”

Every scene you see in the masterfully created film looks as if you can reach out to the screen and be in the environment with the animals. Everything seemed incredibly real as if you were watching a film that was shot in the wild with the wild animals.

The next actor to speak was Donald Glover, and he talked about how Simba was different in this adaptation and the things he wanted to bring to the table. He told us that “I really feel that it’s good to make movies that are global and metropolitan in the sense of the citizens of the world.’

With Simba, he portrayed this philosophy. Throughout the film, there is the classic tale of The Lion King, but there are also some messages that people all over the world can take out of it.

Now to talk about the epic duo between Pumba and Timon. People wanted to know what it was like and how Rogan and Eichner accomplished the perfect chemistry for the two characters. Rogan started by telling us, “I think you can really tell that we’re playing off of each other. It’s an incredibly naturalistic feeling.’ Eichner then answered to the question by joking around and telling us, ‘Yeah. I wish I was as cute in real life as I am in the movie. The Timon they designed is so adorable.’

The two continued to joke around with each other while giving us the perfect Pumba and Timon vibe. 

Next, the press conference took the direction of the authenticity of the film by asking Dr. Kani to talk about his role as Rafiki. He talked about is his relation to Rafiki, ‘We are both over 75. So we both lived. We both walked through that forest. We both created those footpaths and intertwined with the little rabbits, and the animals go through. And we’ve seen experience life.’

One of the last questions that was asked to wrap up the press conference was to the young Shahadi. She has been a part of both the Broadway performances of The Lion King and now the all-new film, so she was asked what it was like doing both. ‘It was amazing doing both. It was such an honor doing the stage play on Broadway and also doing it in the all new Lion King. And one thing that I really saw the difference was was that on Broadway, everything is a little bit more structured.’

With that closing note, the press conference ended after a few jokes made between Seth Rogan and Jon Favreau.

Be sure to check out all of the adorable merchandise for The Lion King too. You will want it all, and you can help save real lions with every special edition plush purchase!

Lots of fun and playful Lion King shirts!

Go see this incredible cast in The Lion King out in theaters July 19, 2019. This classic retold story will take your breath away and leaving you singing the traditional songs in your head for the rest of the day.

Like THE LION KING on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyTheLionKing/

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THE LION KING arrives in theatres everywhere on July 19th!

Aladdin

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Aladdin

By Erin

Disney’s Aladdin is in theaters now! Such a thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic, brings back so much 90’s nostalgia from my childhood. The exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine, and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Starring Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen and Numan Acar. Aladdin is directed by Guy Ritchie from a screenplay by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s Aladdin by Ron Clements & John Musker and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio. The film is produced by Dan Lin, p.g.a., and Jonathan Eirich, p.g.a., with Marc Platt and Kevin De La Noy serving as executive producers. Alan Menken provides the score, which includes new recordings of the original songs writen by Menken and lyricists Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. New music written by Menken and songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

The Magical Story starts of in the streets of Agrabah, that is home to Aladdin (Mena Massoud), a lovable street rat who is eager to leave his life of petty thievery behind, believing he is destined for much greater things. Across town, the Sultan’s daughter, Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott ), harbors dreams of her own. She longs to experience life beyond the palace walls and use her title to better serve the people of Agrabah, but her father is extremely overprotective and her handmaiden, Dalia (Nasim Pedrad), keeps close tabs on her. The Sultan (Navid Negahban) is preoccupied with finding a suitable husband for his daughter, while Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), his loyal and trusted advisor and a powerful sorcerer, is frustrated with the Sultan’s passive stance on Agrabah’s future and is devising a plan to assume the throne himself.

It’s the same story we have come to know a love with a few twists and turns, a new character along with new songs you are going to love. The visuals are stunning and Will Smith does the best he can to fill the big shoes of the Genie that Robin Williams left behind. Robin Williams is irreplaceable, but Will helps capture the magic and wit of the Genie.

Aladdin (Mena Massoud) meets the larger-than-life blue Genie (Will Smith) in Disney’s live-action adaptation ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie.

Here are a few fun facts about the making of the film that shows just how much thought, planning and detail went into making Aladdin.

Production designer Gemma Jackson, who won an Emmy Award® for her production design work on “Game of Thrones,” was tasked with bringing Agrabah to life. She envisioned the city as a gateway to the Eastern world with a vibrant array of colors, cultures and sounds. Her inspirations came primarily from Moroccan, Persian and Turkish architecture and featured elements of Arab, Indian and South Asian cultures, since Agrabah is an Arab country on the Silk Road where cultural influences from other cultures in the regions could be found. The art department, under the supervision of Gemma Jackson, built the massive Agrabah set outdoors on a tarmac the size of two football fields at Longcross Studios in just 15 weeks.

Set decoration for Agrabah included fabrics, textiles and carvings similar to those found in Marrakesh, lots of colorful woods, metals, fruits and vegetables and a 1,000-year-old olive tree.

The Agrabah courtyard, market stalls, narrow alleys and cluttered rooftops were designed to accommodate the extensive choreography and stunts featured in the musical numbers “One Jump Ahead” and “Prince Ali.”

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