5 Things We Learned at The Lion King 2019 Press Conference

Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Jon Favreau, and Hans Zimmer shared behind-the-scenes stories at The Lion King press conference, from VR sets to a hidden Frozen Easter egg. Lebo M. also returns to reprise his iconic vocal work from the 1994 original.

Ahead of the July 19 release of Disney's The Lion King, the film's press conference turned into a dream-come-true hangout with stars Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, director Jon Favreau, and legendary composer Hans Zimmer. Here are the five biggest takeaways from the day.

A Dream Team Reunites Pride Rock

1. Donald Glover's Son Didn't Know His Dad Was in the Movie

Glover, who voices adult Simba, kept his role a surprise from his young son — until the kid figured it out mid-screening. "He was like 'Oh the one with Beyoncé,'" Glover laughed. "And then during the movie, he was like, 'Oh, Dad's in it too! This is great! A bonus.'"

2. Eichner and Rogen Recorded Together

Unlike most animated productions, the Timon and Pumbaa duo got to record their scenes side-by-side in what filmmakers called the "black box theater" — a setup that let them improvise freely. "Being able to riff off each other and really discover our chemistry together in the same moment, you can feel it when you're watching the movie," Eichner said. Rogen marveled at how much of Eichner made it into Timon: "He essentially played himself on a TV show for years and this character is somehow more Billy than that character!"

3. The Set Was Basically a VR Video Game

To pull off the photorealistic look, Jon Favreau's team built a full virtual set inside a game engine, letting actors and crew "walk through" scenes in VR. "It's like watching your favorite movie, but you're in it!" said JD McCrary, who voices Young Simba. "You put on the headsets and have these little controller things in your hands and we could fly!"

4. The Soundtrack Reunites 1994 Artists

Hans Zimmer returned to score the new film and brought back many of the same musicians from the 1994 original. Ideas began percolating at 2017's Coachella, when Zimmer performed the Lion King score live. Also back: Lebo M., whose vocal and choir arrangements anchor some of the movie's most iconic moments. "The greatest gift is being able to reenter this journey that's been in my life for 25 years," he said. "This is like a family reunion."

5. Watch for a Disney Easter Egg

Favreau confirmed the film hides a sly nod to another Disney classic. "I drew inspiration for that from The Lion King stage show. They threw in a joke about Frozen in there, because Frozen had just come on Broadway, so we kind of doffed the cap to another live-action adaptation of a Disney animated classic."

What This Means for Disney+ Fans

The 2019 Lion King is a technical landmark and an emotional throwback in equal measure, and these behind-the-scenes stories give fans plenty of reasons to revisit it on Disney+. Whether it's spotting the Frozen Easter egg or listening for Lebo M.'s returning vocals, every rewatch rewards a closer look.