Here's how The Lion King 2 can be better than the live-action original. After the recent announcement that the sequel is now in production, Disney has a golden opportunity to make a sequel that actually stands out and feels unique in comparison to the lackluster first film.
Released back in 1994, the original animated film was widely considered a gold standard in animation and was particularly emblematic of the Disney Renaissance, a period in the 90s that gave audiences some of Disney's most widely acclaimed animated films. The Lion King was so popular that it spanned two straight-to-DVD sequels and a recent animated television show, and its imprint on popular culture is undeniably massive (despite long-lasting and persistent rumors of plagiarism). Unfortunately, the photorealistic 2019 project couldn't muster up the same kind of universal love that the original did.
While the remake grossed over $1 billion at the box office, critics and audiences alike were relatively lukewarm on the film. In the eyes of many, it didn't warrant its existence, simply because it's just the story of the original film re-told using photorealistic effects and a new voice cast. Even though the first movie failed to resonate with audiences in a meaningful way, its massive box office haul has directly led to Disney announcing a sequel directed by Moonlight's Barry Jenkins. At this point, not many details are known about the movie, but it has a strong chance to be a more engaging cinematic experience than its predecessor.
Even in the lead-up to the release of the 2019 Lion King remake, audiences and fans of the original were apprehensive about the purpose behind remaking such a beloved classic. While there are certainly tons of remakes that enrich the material and make for a satisfying viewing experience, the original film was already so impactful that there felt like very little reason for it to be remade. Going into the project, there were major concerns about just what Disney's priority was for making the film.
Upon release, viewers quickly discovered that the major priority for Disney in remaking The Lion King was money. The movie was a massive success at the box office but it just felt hollow in comparison to the original, and even in comparison to some of Disney's other live-action remakes like The Jungle Book. There were many things that it did well, particularly the updated voice cast and some of the new arrangements of classic songs, but overall it was breathtakingly evident that the movie was nothing more than an obvious cash-grab that did little to capitalize on the legacy of the original.
While there's very little reason for ardent critics of The Lion King 2019 to have faith in yet another live-action Disney property, there's one distinct advantage that the sequel has over its predecessor: it can tell a completely original story. A massive point of criticism of the remake was that it felt pointless: it doesn't attempt to retell the story in any meaningful way, instead choosing to reuse the exact same plot points through photorealistic animation. The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride is technically an official sequel to the story of the original; however, it seems increasingly evident that Disney won't be adapting that story for this upcoming project for aforementioned reasons. Reports suggest that the sequel will actually be a story prequel, detailing Mufasa's rise as king of the Pride Lands, something that's only vaguely hinted at by the first movie.
Aside from a lack of originality, there were several other problems that people had with the remake. One major point of contention arose from the photorealistic visual effects used to create the animals: unlike the original, the extreme realism meant that the animals were unable to emote and articulate feeling the same way that the animation in the original did. This resulted in scenes such as Mufasa's death feeling extremely stilted and awkward. This isn't to say that the CGI in the movie wasn't incredible; quite the contrary. The breathtaking CGI left little room for stylistic depictions of the animals, something that the visual effects teams now have the chance to course-correct.
The sequel also has an exciting opportunity to introduce new iconic songs to the Lion King franchise. The remake reused all of the songs from the original film (with the exception of Beyonce's Spirit), and while the arrangements and harmonies performed by the new cast sounded stellar, there's a chance for the sequel to turn around and give its stars even more to work with. Even though the scale of the original film's narrative is definitely a major aspect of why people love it so much, the music is arguably the most important part of the original's iconography.
At the end of the day, critics and audiences might be less critical of a sequel simply because it doesn't have the pressure of a remake on it. No matter how stunning the effects were or how comfortable the voice actors were with their roles, The Lion King remake was always fighting an uphill battle by justifying its own existence. Instead of holding the legacy of one of the greatest animated films of all-time, it gets to explore virtually new territory by building its own story and content.
The fact that Barry Jenkins, one of the most acclaimed indie directors of the current generation, is working on the sequel only adds to the general sense of intrigue. Between 2016's Moonlight and 2018's If Beele Street Could Talk, Jenkins has become well-known for his intimate and socially-resounding dramas. Such a respected filmmaker wouldn't just attach himself to a project that he has no stake in; and with the already relatively low expectations of people who were burned by the first film, The Lion King 2 could just shape up to be a much bigger surprise than people are currently anticipating.
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