With the creation of Disney Plus, fans of the Mouse House know where to go to find the studio’s latest movies online. Aside from R-rated Fox films, all Disney-owned releases – so Marvel, Walt Disney Animation, Pixar, etc. – will end up on the streaming service from now on. In just two days, on January 8th, for instance, 2018’s remake of Aladdin drops. But what about the following reboot of a classic animated flick, last summer’s The Lion King?
Well, we now know the answer to that, and the good news is it’ll be up on Disney Plus before the month is out. This reveal doesn’t come our way via a press release or anything, but actually thanks to a placeholder screen on the site itself. On D+, if a film is scheduled to appear on the service at a later date, it’ll be represented by a placeholder card which tells you when to expect it to become available. Handily, this allows you to add the movie to your to-watch list so you don’t miss it when it comes out. In the case of The Lion King, it promises that it’ll be out on January 28th.
Financially, The Lion King was a roaring success, earning $1.657 billion at the box office. On the other hand, it’s arguably one of the most criticized Disney remakes of the lot, with many fans labelling it as far inferior to the 1994 original. That said, it’s hard to top that beloved flick, so that’s not to say there isn’t still a lot to enjoy about Jon Favreau’s new version. Not least the incredible state-of-the-art CGI. Just last night, in fact, the movie was up for two Golden Globes – Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature – though it didn’t manage to pick up either.
Still, remember to catch The Lion King on Disney Plus in just a few weeks’ time. And while we wait for it to arrive, feel free to share your thoughts on the divisive remake in the usual place below.