‘The Lion King’ trailer hints at the jungle’s give and take

Life can be good and life can be bad, young Simba is taught in the new trailer for Disney’s new version of “The Lion King,” which dropped Wednesday, 100 days ahead of opening night.

“Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance,” Mufasa (James Earl Jones) tells Simba (J.D. McCrary) as he surveys the savanna. “While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give.”

A darker message comes from Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and the hyena pack, who threaten Simba and Young Nala (Shahadi Wright Joseph) as the two little ones walk together in a barren part of the jungle.

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“Life’s not fair, is it, my little friend?,” Scar says. “While some are born to feast, others spend their lives in the dark, begging for scraps.”

Which fate awaits the young Lion King? And how long is it until the comic relief, to be provided by warthog Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) and meerkat Timon (Billy Eichner)?

Those questions will be answered — at least for those who’ve never seen the 1994 animated film, or the Broadway show, or the touring show, or the Disney on Ice version (it exists!) — when “The Lion King” hits theaters July 19.

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