Disney’s The Lion King (2019) isn’t quite the live-action adaptation of the animated classics we’ve come to know. Instead, it is a reimagined version that takes the lessons learned from The Jungle Book and uses new tools and technologies to tell a beloved story in an all-new way. Director Jon Favreau takes the helm of what is essentially an old story told from a different technological lens. Using photorealistic technologies, animals in the film come to life. So much so this new Lion King looks like a DisneyNature title.

We sat down with our fellow journalists at the global press conference for The Lion King, where Favreau talked about his three-year journey making the film, how he wanted to pay homage to the animated original, and more. Check out what he had to say below.