WATCH The New Lion King Trailer

Disney has released the first trailer for the much-anticipated live-action adaptation of The Lion King.

Disney tweeted the trailer just over ten hours ago, on the eve of Black Friday, with a short tweet announcing the release date: July 19, 2019.

At the same time it aired the advert during the NFL’s annual Thanksgiving primetime game in the United States.

The online ad has already attracted over 17.5 million views on Twitter and over 6 million on YouTube.

The trailer features the opening scene with baboon Rafiki – played by South Africa’s legendary actor John Kani – presenting baby lion cub Simba to all the animals.

Kani (75) replaces Robert Guillaume from the 1994 original, who passed away last year at the age of 89 from prostate cancer.

The star-studded cast is led by Beyonce, and features Kani, Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Seth Rogan and James Earl Jones, who reprises his role as King Mufasa… and – to the delight of many – narrates the trailer.

Watch for yourself below, and then watch the comparison with the original version.

WATCH The Lion King – first official trailer

July 19, 2019. #TheLionKing pic.twitter.com/DEc7Vq9sxQ

— Disney (@Disney) November 22, 2018

Here's a side-by-side of 'The Lion King' trailer with the same scenes from the 1994 original movie. #TheLionKing pic.twitter.com/nHpKHWDzPJ

— Lights, Camera, Barstool (@LightsCameraPod) November 22, 2018

If you can’t view the top trailer, try this:

The Lion King trailer being released as millions of Millennials sit in their childhood bedrooms on Thanksgiving night, slightly drunk and vulnerable to nostalgia… someone give that marketing team a raise

— Nick Hutchins (@nicholasrhutch) November 23, 2018

Watching the Lion King trailer like i don’t have to watch Mufasa die again pic.twitter.com/MI5N6940n3

— KYLE 🖕🏽 (@thekillakay_) November 23, 2018