This Is When 'The Lion King' Remake Is Coming To UK Cinemas & It's Not After The U.S.

The trailer for the upcoming Lion King remake sent the internet into overdrive last year, and along with Beauty and the Beast and Dumbo, will join a string of Disney classics that have been reimagined for modern audiences. The computer-animated revamp of the beloved film features a stellar cast which consists of Donald Glover, Seth Rogan, and the queen herself, Beyoncé. But when is The Lion King coming out in the UK?

Well, clear your summer schedules, because according to the Express, moviegoers can expect The Lion King to hit cinemas on Friday, July 19 this year. The film will be released in the UK on the same day as its U.S. debut, however we won't be the first country that gets to enjoy what promises to be an epic remake. The Disney classic will first be released in both France and Sweden two days prior, on Wednesday July 17, and the following day will hit the big screen in Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, Hungary, Portugal, Russia, and Singapore. However, UK fans will get to watch the movie prior to our friends in Italy, who have to wait until July 21 for The Lion King's cinematic release.

The 2019 Lion King has been in the works for almost three years, and in October 2016, Disney selected Jeff Nathanson to write the screenplay of the remake — which judging by the first official trailer largely follows the story of the original movie. A month later it was announced that Hans Zimmer, who provided the music for the 1994 original, would return to score the revamped film. Other musicians linked to the Lion King soundtrack include Sir Elton John, who according to NME, signed on to rework his own music from the original before his retirement.

In 2017, much of the main voice cast had signed up to take part in the project, and as reported by Digital Spy, the cast includes Atlanta actor Donald Glover as Simba, the Academy Award-winning Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan, who will portray the characters of Timon and Pumbaa, respectively. Disney later released the full cast list on Twitter, which also revealed that James Earl Jones would be returning to his iconic role of Mufasa.

Principal photography got underway in mid-2017 in Los Angeles, and was filmed on a blue screen stage which allows for the specific type of animation required for The Lion King remake, reports the Express. Virtual Production Supervisor, Girish Balakrishnan, stated on his professional website that Disney used motion capture and VR/AR technologies throughout the production of the movie.

The 2019 reboot is directed by Jon Favreau — the man behind the live-action remake of The Jungle Book — and in a statement about his role behind the camera, Favreau said "It is a director's dream to assemble a talented team like this to bring this classic story to life."

The Lion King is released in cinemas on Friday, July 19.