With every Pixar film, the team learns something new or how to do something better. This has been said in multiple interviews with newer Pixar films that come o

With every Pixar film, the team learns something new or how to do something better. This has been said in multiple interviews with newer Pixar films that come out compared to the old ones. Aside from the superb storytelling and all that, it makes the team push for new breakthrough in animation. I can see Lion King serving as a real world project for Disney animators in the same way, and a way to get paid to learn and push the fold in realistic animation. Not saying that's the reason behind it as I'm sure remaking a bunch of these movies was likely planned already but if you can level up your team, learn something new in the process, and get paid for doing it, why not.