The Lion King Trailer Excites Movie Fans

Written by Jon Williams

When Disney released The Lion King into theaters in 1994, it was an instant hit. Using animation to bring the classic tale of Shakespeare’s Hamlet to the animal kingdom, the movie featured a star-studded voice cast including James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, and Matthew Broderick, to name just a few. It made more than $300 million during its initial theatrical run, won Academy Awards for its music, and spawned two direct-to-video sequels, The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride and The Lion King 1½, not to mention a Broadway play.

Now, as we approach the movie’s 25^th anniversary, Disney is preparing to release a live-action (or photorealistic CGI, at least) remake of The Lion King. Coming in July of 2019, it is set to feature even more famous voices, if that’s possible, than the original. James Earl Jones will once again lend his iconic voice to Mufasa, and he’ll be joined by Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, Alfre Woodard, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and John Oliver. Oh, and Beyoncé. The first teaser trailer for the movie dropped last week during the NFL games on Thanksgiving Day and has already been viewed hundreds of millions of times online.

The new movie is being directed by Jon Favreau, who is no stranger to this type of project, having brought the 2016 live-action version of The Jungle Book following the 1967 animated classic, which is currently in Disney’s Vault. Other recent live-action updates of Disney’s animated classics include 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (from 1991’s animated version), 2015’s Cinderella (1950’s animated version, currently in the Vault), and 2010’s Alice in Wonderland (from 1951’s animated version). Lest anyone think this is a new concept, however, please recall the 1996 live-action version of 101 Dalmatians, adapted from the 1961 animated original (both of which are currently unavailable).

Of course, Disney’s lineup of animated classics is a rich vein to mine, and there are a number of other live-action adaptations in the works. 2019 will be a big year for them, with Dumbo (from director Tim Burton, who also did Alice in Wonderland) in March and Aladdin (starring Will Smith as the Genie) in May. Lady and the Tramp is also on the agenda for some point during the year, while 2020 will see an adaptation of Mulan. A remake of Pinocchio is still further out on the horizon, but has been in the news in the past couple of days due to the possibility of Tom Hanks joining the cast in the key role of Geppetto.

These live-action remakes have proved to be incredibly popular, and the original animated versions have proven to be all-time classics for generations. Make sure you have both versions of all these wonderful movies on your shelves for patrons to enjoy.

Hot This Week: November 26

There are plenty of new titles your patrons will be looking for as they come off their long holiday weekend. Three are on the movie list, led by the giant shark thriller The Meg. Five albums debut on the music chart, with the 50th anniversary reissue of the White Album landing the Beatles on the list. In fiction, the top two titles are new, while in non-fiction, the enlightening new memoir from former First Lady Michelle Obama takes over the top spot.

Movies 

1. The Meg (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Mile 22 (Blu-ray)
3. Incredibles 2 (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Alpha (Blu-ray)
5. The Spy Who Dumped Me (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. Christopher Robin (Blu-ray)
7. Ant-Man and the Wasp (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. Skyscraper (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. Hotel Transylvania 3 (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. Blackkklansman (Blu-ray | 4K)

CD

1. Kane Brown, Experiment
2. Imagine Dragons, Origins
3. Lil Pepp, Come Over When You're Sober, Part 2
4. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born Soundtrack
5. The Beatles, The Beatles
6. Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody Soundtrack
7. Drake, Scorpion
8. Travis Scott, Astroworld
9. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter V
10. Muse, Simulation Theory

Fiction

1. Look Alive Twenty-Five, Janet Evanovich
2. Long Road to Mercy, David Baldacci
3. The Reckoning, John Grisham
4. Past Tense, Lee Child
5. Nine Perfect Strangers, Liane Moriarty
6. Every Breath, Nicholas Sparks
7. Dark Sacred Night, Michael Connelly
8. Elevation, Stephen King
9. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom
10. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens

Non-Fiction

1. Becoming, Michelle Obama
2. Killing the SS, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
3. Ship of Fools, Tucker Carlson
4. Fear, Bob Woodward
5. Educated, Tara Westover
6. Leadership, Doris Kearns Goodwin
7. Brief Answers to the Big Questions, Stephen Hawking
8. Almost Everything, Anne Lamott
9. The Library Book, Susan Orlean
10. I Might Regret This, Abbi Jacobson

Hot This Week: November 19

There are plenty of new movies for patrons to enjoy during the upcoming holiday weekend, led by the blockbuster animated sequel Incredibles 2. In music, the smash success biopic Bohemian Rhapsody lands two Queen compilations on the chart, including the movie's soundtrack. The fiction list is bookended by two new novels at each end, with the latest from Lee Child at the top, while familiar favorites stand strong in non-fiction.

Movies 

1. Incredibles 2 (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. The Spy Who Dumped Me (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Ant-Man and the Wasp (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Blackkklansman (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. Skyscraper (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. Hotel Transylvania 3 (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. The Darkest Minds (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. Slender Man (Blu-ray)
9. Christopher Robin (Blu-ray)
10. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (Blu-ray)

CD

1. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born Soundtrack
2. Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody Soundtrack
3. Drake, Scorpion
4. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter V
5. Travis Scott, Astroworld
6. Queen, Greatest Hits - Platinum Collection
7. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
8. Ariana Grande, Sweetener
9. Barbra Streisand, Walls
10. Pistol Annies, Interstate Gospel

Fiction

1. Past Tense, Lee Child
2. Nine Perfect Strangers, Liane Moriarty
3. The Reckoning, John Grisham
4. Dark Sacred Night, Michael Connelly
5. Every Breath, Nicholas Sparks
6. Elevation, Stephen King
7. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom
8. Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver
9. The Noel Stranger, Richard Paul Evans
10. Sea of Greed, Clive Cussler and Graham Brown

Non-Fiction

1. Killing the SS, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
2. Ship of Fools, Tucker Carlson
3. Leadership, Doris Kearns Goodwin
4. Fear, Bob Woodward
5. Educated, Tara Westover
6. Brief Answers to the Big Questions, Stephen Hawking
7. I Might Regret This, Abbi Jacobson
8. Almost Everything, Anne Lamott
9. In Pieces, Sally Field
10. The Coddling of the American Mind, Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

Bohemian Rhapsody Puts Queen Back in the Spotlight

Written by Jon Williams

Now going into its third weekend in theaters, moviegoers still can’t stop talking about Bohemian Rhapsody. The film has made over $110 million at the box office to date, already making it one of the biggest musical biopics of all time. Detailing the story of Freddie Mercury and Queen from the band’s formation in 1970 through their astonishing 1985 Live Aid performance, the movie has spurred a resurgence of interest in Queen’s timeless music.

Band members Brian May and Roger Taylor were performing together in the band Smile until Mercury joined them in 1970, when they took the name Queen. When bassist John Deacon joined in 1971, the lineup was complete. In 1973, they released their eponymous debut album, Queen, which drew some critical acclaim but otherwise garnered little attention. That started to change with the follow-up, 1974’s Queen II, which contained their first U.K. hit, “Seven Seas of Rhye,” a finished version of an instrumental track from the first album. That album’s cover art would become perhaps the most iconic image associated with the band. Their second album of 1974, Sheer Heart Attack, and its lead single “Killer Queen” helped to establish their classic sound, and brought them success in North America as well.

From there it was a rocket ship to the top as Queen produced one radio smash after another. Their fourth album, 1975’s A Night at the Opera, was the most expensive ever produced at the time. It contained the epic six-minute style mishmash “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which gave the movie its name. Their next album, the sequel A Day at the Races, spawned the hit “Somebody to Love.” And then came 1977’s News of the World, and with it, perhaps their most well-known, biggest hit: the anthem “We Will Rock You” and the accompanying ballad “We Are the Champions.” But the hits didn’t stop there—far from it. The 1978 album Jazz included such songs as “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “Bicycle Race,” and “Don’t Stop Me Now,” while 1980’s The Game brought “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Another One Bites the Dust.” Then they showed off their versatility by finishing off 1980 with the soundtrack for the sci-fi movie Flash Gordon.

One of Queen’s big hits happened spontaneously, as David Bowie came into their studio to sing backup on a track—that performance was nixed, but while he was there, they wrote and recorded “Under Pressure.” That appears on their 1982 album Hot Space. The different sound on the album was a source of contention between Mercury and the rest of the band, and they took a break from performing live while they worked on a new album and pursued side projects. They came back with The Works in 1984, containing “Radio Ga Ga” and “I Want to Break Free.” In July of 1985 came their celebrated performance at the benefit concert Live Aid, which ranked in a 2005 poll as the greatest rock performance of all time. Energized, they recorded the 1986 album A Kind of Magic. That was followed by their final tour with Mercury, where they played to record crowds. In 1989 they released The Miracle, and followed it in 1991 with Innuendo. Mercury, who had been ill for some time, passed away later that year. Nevertheless, the band had enough leftover material, including songs recorded during previous album sessions, for Made in Heaven, released in 1995.

The movie’s popularity has brought Queen’s music back to the forefront—the soundtrack is at #3 on the current Billboard albums chart, the highest position for the band in 38 years, since The Game hit #1 in 1980. It has also brought the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” back into the Hot 100, making it just the second song to chart in three different decades (in addition to its original 1976 release, it also charted in 1992 due to its inclusion in the movie Wayne’s World). It speaks to the fact that Queen’s music is timeless, and your patrons will be looking for it now as they learn about the band and its amazing lead singer due to the incredibly popular movie. Use the links above to find their studio albums, and SmartBrowse the band’s name on our website to find their acclaimed live albums and video of their performances. And for patrons who want to dig more into their history, check out the audiobook Queen Unseen by Peter Hince.

Hot This Week: November 12

Three new movies break onto this week's list, led by the Mila Kunis/Kate McKinnon comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me. In music, a long-awaited new release by superstar crossover tenor Andrea Bocelli bumps the soundtrack to A Star Is Born from the top spot. Stephen King's new novella, his second release of the year, takes over in fiction. And in non-fiction, a memoir from Abbi Jacobson, the co-star of Broad City, is the sole newcomer of the week.

Movies 

1. The Spy Who Dumped Me (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Ant-Man and the Wasp (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Skyscraper (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Hotel Transylvania 3 (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. Slender Man (Blu-ray)
6. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (Blu-ray)
7. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. The First Purge (Blu-ray | 4K)
9. Sicario: Day of the Soldado (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Blu-ray | 4K)

CD

1. Andrea Bocelli, Si
2. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born Soundtrack
3. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter V
4. Drake, Scorpion
5. Travis Scott, Astroworld
6. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
7. Ella Mai, Ella Mai
8. Quavo, Quavo Huncho
9. XXXTENTACION, ?
10. Eminem, Kamikaze

Fiction

1. Elevation, Stephen King
2. The Reckoning, John Grisham
3. Dark Sacred Night, Michael Connelly
4. Every Breath, Nicholas Sparks
5. Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver
6. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom
7. A Spark of Light, Jodi Picoult
8. Ambush, James Patterson and James O. Born
9. Holy Ghost, John Sandford
10. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens

Non-Fiction

1. Killing the SS, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
2. Ship of Fools, Tucker Carlson
3. Fear, Bob Woodward
4. Almost Everything, Anne Lamott
5. Brief Answers to the Big Questions, Stephen Hawking
6. Leadership, Doris Kearns Goodwin
7. I Might Regret This, Abbi Jacobson
8. Educated, Tara Westover
9. The Coddling of the American Mind, Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
10. Presidents of War, Michael Beschloss

Hot This Week: November 5

Halloween has come and gone, and the first list of November is a slow one for new titles. The lone newcomer to the movie list is the hit musical follow-up to the first Mamma Mia film. In music, the Star Is Born soundtrack holds firm at the top for yet another week, followed by the debut LP from the rock sensation Greta Van Fleet. The fiction list is bookended by new novels, with the latest from bestselling author John Grisham topping the list. There's only one new book in non-fiction: The Library Book, a paean to the institution of libraries.

Movies 

1. Ant-Man and the Wasp (Blu-ray | 4K)
2. Skyscraper (Blu-ray | 4K)
3. Hotel Transylvania 3 (Blu-ray | 4K)
4. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Blu-ray | 4K)
5. The First Purge (Blu-ray | 4K)
6. Sicario: Day of the Soldado (Blu-ray | 4K)
7. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Blu-ray | 4K)
8. Reprisal (Blu-ray)
9. Solo: A Star Wars Story (Blu-ray | 4K)
10. Ocean's 8 (Blu-ray)

CD

1. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born Soundtrack
2. Greta Van Fleet, Anthem of the Peaceful Army
3. Disturbed, Evolution
4. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter V
5. Drake, Scorpion
6. Travis Scott, Astroworld
7. Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
8. Quavo, Quavo Huncho
9. Ella Mai, Ella Mai
10. Twenty One Pilots, Trench

Fiction

1. The Reckoning, John Grisham
2. Every Breath, Nicholas Sparks
3. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom
4. Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver
5. A Spark of Light, Jodi Picoult
6. Ambush, James Patterson and James O. Born
7. Holy Ghost, John Sandford
8. The Witch Elm, Tana French
9. Red War, Vince Flynn & Kyle Mills
10. Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens

Non-Fiction

1. Killing the SS, Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
2. Ship of Fools, Tucker Carlson
3. Brief Answers to the Big Questions, Stephen Hawking
4. Fear, Bob Woodward
5. Presidents of War, Michael Beschloss
6. Leadership, Doris Kearns Goodwin
7. Educated, Tara Westover
8. Almost Everything, Anne Lamott
9. The Library Book, Susan Orlean
10. In Pieces, Sally Field