The trailer for The Lion King was released online a couple of hours ago. This is the live animation adaptation expected to hit theatres in 2019. It’s still an animated film, technically, but it’s the photorealistic animated adaptation of the beloved animated (stay with me) classic of, arguably — the world’s most profitable Hamlet interpretation.

It’s a shot for shot rekindle of the original film and it’s gonna attract a lot of attention and a lot of box office if the trailer is anything to go by, having immediately melt down the internet upon release.

It’s a fantastic move on Disney’s behalf to go back and re-ignite the flames of these beloved old classics and turn them into live adaptations (in this case — photorealistic adaptation).

Disney started making these in 1996 with 101 Dalmatians (featuring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil) and continued on through the years with Sleeping Beauty (which became Maleficent), Cinderella and Beauty And The Beast to name a few.

In the months ahead we can expect big ones with adaptations of the aforementioned The Lion King, Aladdin and Dumbo.

Lots in the pipeline for Disney and I think it’s cool of them to do this. It’s a great way to double dip on your property as it’s just sitting there. You can only make so much money on rentals, especially in this day. Why not go hit the theatres once more with the intellectual property that you already own? However, I think it only has a limited lifespan. Reason being — the beloved classics sell more merchandise.

They just do.

The kids are attracted to the colours and the brightness of the imagery of Disney princesses of yesteryear. No amount of live action adaptations can translate into a lunchbox the way Elsa and Anna can.

I also believe that long-term, in the rental market — when families are faced with options for watching these shows at home, parents will choose the animated versions over the live-action adaptations four times out of five. Just a gut instinct there — But being a parent, I know my wife would go the animation angle as some of these films contain violent imagery and, as such you’re best to err on the side of caution with regards to animated violence over photo-realistic violence.

So instead, what I think Disney should do after this run is the opposite of what they’re doing right now.

Look at some of the properties they hold that were live action films — first and foremost — and recreate them as animated features and see what happens.

They are sitting on some great properties.

For example, The Rocketeer.

If they made that film as an animated adaptation that would be a killer! Imagine Pixar getting their hands on the rocketeer? Get out of here!

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids would work really well.

You know in the backyard? Recreating those insects would look really cool in animated form.

Bottom line — the dollar has to be driven further than the theatre itself in the marketing playbook of Disney and with these properties transported into primary colours and printed on the back of school bags, you know it’s money in the bank.