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{{Short description|1994 American animated musical drama film}}{{About|the 1994 animated film|its 2019 remake|The Lion King (2019 film){{!}}The Lion King (2019 film)|the entire Disney franchise|The Lion King (franchise){{!}}The Lion King (franchise)|other uses}}{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}{{Good article}}{{Use American English|date=December 2018}}{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}









style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;“! colspan=“6” style="background: LightSteelBlue;” | List of awards and nominations style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;“! Award! Category! Nominee(s)! Result! Ref.| “Circle of Life” Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Tim Rice| {{nom}}| Most Performed Song from Motion Pictures| “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Tim Rice| {{won}}| BAFTA Interactive Awards| Cinema Audio Society Awards| “Circle of Life” Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Tim Rice| {{nom}}|“Circle of Life” – Elton John and Tim Rice| {{nom}}| “Circle of Life” – Elton John and Tim Rice| {{nom}}| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards| National Film Preservation Board| Hall of Fame – Songs| “Circle of Life”| Jason Weaver| {{won}}| Best Performance by a Youth Actress in a Voice-Over – TV or Movie| Laura Williams | {{won}}

factoids
image	The Lion King poster.jpg| alt = In an African savannah, several animals stare at a lion atop a tall rock. A lion’s head can be seen in the clouds above. Atop the image is the text “Walt Disney Pictures presents The Lion King”.| caption = Theatrical release poster by John Alvin	Irene Mecchi Jonathan Roberts Linda Woolverton {edih}	Barry Johnson Andy Gaskill Kevin Harkey Tom Sito Rick Maki Burny Mattinson Lorna Cook Gary Trousdale Jorgen Klubien Larry Leker Ed Gombert Mark Kausler Thom Enriquez Jim Capobianco Chris Sanders Joe Ranft Francis Glebas {edih}| producer = Don Hahn	Jonathan Taylor Thomas Matthew Broderick James Earl Jones Jeremy Irons Moira Kelly Ernie Sabella Nathan Lane Robert Guillaume Rowan Atkinson Whoopi Goldberg Cheech Marin Jim Cummings Madge Sinclair {edih}| editing = Ivan Bilancio| music = Hans Zimmer	Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Feature Animation {edih}| distributor = Buena Vista Pictures Distribution	1994	15|United States}}	THE LION KING (U)	WORK=BRITISH BOARD OF FILM CLASSIFICATION	ARCHIVE-DATE=SEPTEMBER 21, 2013	URL-STATUS=DEAD, | country = United States| language = English| budget = $45 million		TITLE=’X-MEN’ & ‘ALICE’ LEAD SOFT MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND; DISNEY TOPS $4 BILLION WORLDWIDE	BOX OFFICE MOJO >URL=HTTPS://WWW.BOXOFFICEMOJO.COM/ARTICLE/ED3093300228/	ACCESS-DATE=JANUARY 28, 2022, }}The Lion King is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama filmNEWS, Byrge, Duane, June 27, 2016, ‘The Lion King’: THR’s 1994 Review,www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/lion-king-thrs-1994-review-2-906559/, January 24, 2024, The Hollywood Reporter, The Lion King is a coming-of-age story, produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff (in their feature directorial debuts) and produced by Don Hahn, from a screenplay written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Rowan Atkinson, and Robert Guillaume. Its original songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with a score by Hans Zimmer. Inspired by African wildlife, the story is modelled primarily on William Shakespeare’s stage play Hamlet with some influence from the Biblical stories of Joseph and Moses, and follows a young heir apparent who is forced to flee after his uncle kills his father and usurps the throne. After growing up in exile, the rightful king returns to challenge the usurper and end his tyrannical rule over the kingdom.Initially, The Lion King was supposed to be a non-musical, leaning towards a style similar to that of a documentary. George Scribner, who had made his feature directorial debut with Oliver & Company (1988), was hired to direct, with Allers joining him soon after following his work as a story artist or head of story on Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Aladdin (1992). Allers brought in Brenda Chapman and Chris Sanders, whom he had worked with on Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, to serve as head of story and production designer, respectively.Woolverton, who had just wrapped up work as screenwriter for Beauty and the Beast, wrote the initial draft of the screenplay for this film, but following her departure from the project to write the libretto for the Broadway adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, Mecchi and Roberts were brought on board to finish and revise the script. Six months into production, Scribner left the project due to creative differences with Allers, producer Hahn, and Chapman about changing it into a musical, and Minkoff was hired to replace him in April 1992. Additionally, Beauty and the Beast directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise were hired to perform some additional rewrites to the script and story. Throughout production, Allers, Scribner, Minkoff, Hahn, Chapman, Sanders, and several other animators visited Kenya to observe wildlife and get inspiration for the characters and setting.The Lion King was released on June 15, 1994, receiving critical acclaim for its music, story, themes, and animation. With an initial worldwide gross of $763 million, it finished its theatrical run as the highest-grossing film of 1994 and the second-highest-grossing film of all time, behind Jurassic Park (1993).NEWS, Natale, Richard,www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-30-ca-14702-story.html, The Movie Year: Hollywood Loses Its Middle Class, Los Angeles Times, December 30, 1994,web.archive.org/web/20220123164750/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-30-ca-14702-story.html, January 23, 2022, live, It also held the title of being the highest-grossing animated film, until it was overtaken by Finding Nemo (2003). The film remains the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time, as well as the best-selling film on home video, having sold over {{nowrap|55 million}} copies worldwide. It received two Academy Awards, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture â€“ Musical or Comedy. It is considered by many to be among the greatest animated films ever made.The film has led to many derived works, such as a Broadway adaptation in 1997; two direct-to-video follow-ups—the sequel, (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride) (1998), and the prequel/parallel, The Lion King 1½ (2004); two television series, The Lion King’s Timon & Pumbaa (1995-1999) and The Lion Guard (2016-2019), the latter which premiered as a television film titled The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar in 2015; and a photorealistic remake in 2019, which also became the highest-grossing animated film at the time of its release. In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.PRESS RELEASE, With “20,000 Leagues,” the National Film Registry Reaches 700,www.loc.gov/item/prn-16-209/with-20000-leagues-the-national-film-registry-reaches-700/2016-12-14/, December 23, 2016, November 23, 2020, National Film Registry, November 26, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20201126213919/https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-16-209/with-20000-leagues-the-national-film-registry-reaches-700/2016-12-14/, live, The Lion King is the first Disney film to have been dubbed in Zulu,NEWS, Fallon, Kevin, 2014-06-24, ‘The Lion King’ Turns 20: Every Crazy, Weird Fact About the Disney Classic, en, The Daily Beast,www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/24/the-lion-king-turns-20-every-crazy-weird-fact-about-the-disney-classic, 2021-10-31, the only African language aside from Egyptian Arabic to have been used for a feature-length Disney dub.WEB, Mendoza, Jessie, 2019-12-22, The Lion King (1994 movie),www.startattle.com/2019/12/the-lion-king-1994-movie/, 2021-10-31, Startattle, en-US, Plot In the Pride Lands of Tanzania, a pride of lions rule over the kingdom from Pride Rock. King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi’s newborn son, Simba, is presented to the gathering animals by Rafiki the mandrill, the kingdom’s shaman and advisor. Mufasa’s younger brother, Scar, covets the throne.After Simba grows into a cub, Mufasa shows him the Pride Lands and explains the responsibilities of kingship and the “circle of life,” which connects all living things. One day, Simba and his best friend Nala explore an elephant graveyard, where the two are chased by three spotted hyenas named Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. Mufasa is alerted by his majordomo, the hornbill Zazu, and rescues the cubs. Though disappointed with Simba for disobeying him and endangering himself and Nala, Mufasa forgives him and explains that the great kings of the past watch over them from the night sky, from which he will one day watch over Simba. Scar, having planned the attack, visits the hyenas and convinces them to help him kill both Mufasa and Simba in exchange for hunting rights in the Pride Lands.Scar sets a trap for Simba and Mufasa, luring Simba into a gorge and having the hyenas drive a large herd of wildebeest into a stampede to trample him. Mufasa saves Simba but winds up hanging perilously from the gorge’s edge; he begs for Scar’s help, but Scar throws Mufasa back into the stampede to his death. Scar tricks Simba into believing that the event was his fault and tells him to leave the kingdom and never return. He then orders the hyenas to kill Simba, but he escapes. Unaware of Simba’s survival, Scar tells the pride that the stampede killed both Mufasa and Simba and steps forward as the new king, allowing the hyenas into the Pride Lands.After he collapses in a desert, Simba is rescued by two outcasts, a meerkat and a warthog named Timon and Pumbaa. Simba grows up with his two new friends in their oasis, living a carefree life under their motto “hakuna matata” (“no worries” in Swahili). Years later, an adult Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa from a hungry lioness, who turns out to be Nala. Simba and Nala fall in love, and she urges him to return home, telling him that the Pride Lands have become drought-stricken under Scar’s reign. Still feeling guilty over Mufasa’s death, Simba refuses and storms off. He encounters Rafiki, who tells Simba that Mufasa’s spirit lives on in him. Simba is visited by the spirit of Mufasa in the night sky, who tells him that he must take his place as king. After Rafiki advises him to learn from the past instead of running from it, Simba decides to return to the Pride Lands.Aided by his friends, Simba sneaks past the hyenas at Pride Rock and confronts Scar, who taunts Simba over his supposed role in Mufasa’s death and backs him to the edge of the rock. Enraged by the revelation that Scar killed his father, Simba retaliates and forces Scar to confess the truth to the rest of the pride. A battle breaks out between Simba and his allies and the hyenas. Scar attempts to escape, but is cornered by Simba at a ledge near the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs for mercy and blames his actions on the hyenas; Simba spares Scar’s life but, quoting what Scar told him long ago, orders Scar to leave the Pride Lands forever. Scar refuses and attacks Simba, but following a brief battle, Simba throws Scar off the ledge to the ground below. Scar survives the fall, but the hyenas, who overheard him betraying them, attack and maul him to death.With Scar and the hyenas gone, Simba takes his place as king and Nala becomes his queen. With the Pride Lands restored, Rafiki presents Simba and Nala’s newborn cub to the assembled animals, thus continuing the circle of life. Voice cast (File:LionKingCharacters.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A promotional image of the characters from the film. From left to right: Shenzi, Scar, Ed, Banzai, Rafiki, Young Simba, Mufasa, Young Nala, Sarabi, Zazu, Sarafina, Timon, and Pumbaa.) Matthew Broderick as Simba, son of Mufasa and Sarabi, who grows up to become King of the Pride Lands. Rock singer Joseph Williams provided adult Simba’s singing voice.{{efn|Mark Henn and Ruben A. Aquino respectively served as the supervising animators for young and adult Simba.PRESS RELEASE,www.lionking.org/text/FilmNotes.html, The Lion King: Production Notes, August 5, 2008, Walt Disney Pictures, May 25, 1994, LionKing.org, October 26, 2008,www.lionking.org/text/FilmNotes.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20081026100715www.lionking.org/text/FilmNotes.html,">web.archive.org/web/20081026100715www.lionking.org/text/FilmNotes.html, live, }} Jonathan Taylor Thomas voiced young Simba, while Jason Weaver provided the cub’s singing voice. Jeremy Irons as Scar, Mufasa’s younger brother and rival, the film’s main antagonist, who seizes the throne.{{efn|Andreas Deja served as the supervising animator for Scar.}} James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Simba’s father, King of the Pride Lands as the film begins.{{efn|Tony Fucile served as the supervising animator for Mufasa.}} Moira Kelly as Nala, Simba’s best friend and later his mate and Queen of the Pride Lands. Sally Dworsky provided her singing voice.{{efn|Aaron Blaise and Anthony de Rosa respectively served as the supervising animators for young and adult Nala.}} Niketa Calame provided the voice of young Nala while Laura Williams provided her singing voice. Nathan Lane as Timon, a wisecracking and self-absorbed yet loyal bipedal meerkat who becomes one of Simba’s best friends.{{efn|Michael Surrey served as his supervising animator.}} Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, a naïve warthog who suffers from flatulence and is Timon’s best friend. He also becomes one of Simba’s best friends.{{efn|Tony Bancroft served as his supervising animator.}} Robert Guillaume as Rafiki, an old mandrill who serves as shaman of the Pride Lands and presents newborn cubs of the King and Queen to the animals of the Pride Lands.{{efn|James Baxter served as the supervising animator for Rafiki.}} Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, a hornbill who serves as the king’s majordomo (or “Mufasa’s little stooge”, as Shenzi calls him).{{efn|Ellen Woodbury served as the supervising animator for Zazu.}} Madge Sinclair as Queen Sarabi, Mufasa’s mate, Simba’s mother, and the leader of the lioness hunting party.{{efn|Russ Edmonds served as the supervising animator for Sarabi.}} Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings as the three leaders of a clan of spotted hyenas, supposed “friends” of Scar who participate in his plot in the death of Mufasa and Simba.{{efn|Animated by Alex Kupershmidt and David Burgess.}} Goldberg voices Shenzi, the sassy and short-tempered female leader of the trio. Marin voices Banzai, an aggressive and hot-headed hyena prone to complaining and acting on impulse. Cummings voices Ed, a dimwitted hyena who does not talk, only communicating through laughter. Cummings also voiced a mole that talks with Zazu and sang as Scar in place of Irons for certain lines of “Be Prepared”.BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=0cEAOsLJad8C&pg=PA141, The Magic Behind the Voices: A Who’s Who of Cartoon Voice Actors, 978-1-57806-696-4, Lawson, Tim, Persons, Alisa, December 9, 2004, Univ. Press of Mississippi, March 13, 2016, June 27, 2014,books.google.com/books?id=0cEAOsLJad8C&pg=PA141," title="web.archive.org/web/20140627190244books.google.com/books?id=0cEAOsLJad8C&pg=PA141,">web.archive.org/web/20140627190244books.google.com/books?id=0cEAOsLJad8C&pg=PA141, live, Zoe Leader as Sarafina, Nala’s mother, who is shown briefly talking to Simba’s mother, Sarabi. Production Development The origin of the concept for The Lion King is widely disputed.{{sfn|Koenig|1997|p=227}}{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=13}}{{sfn|Chandler|2018|p=330}} According to Charlie Fink (then-Walt Disney Feature Animation’s vice president for creative affairs), he approached Jeffrey Katzenberg, Roy E. Disney, and Peter Schneider with a ”Bambi in Africa” idea with lions. Katzenberg balked at the idea at first, but nevertheless encouraged Fink and his writers to develop a mythos to explain how lions serviced other animals by eating them.{{sfn|Geirland|Keidar|1999|p=49}} Another anecdote states that the idea was conceived during a conversation between Katzenberg, Roy E. Disney, and Schneider on a flight to Europe during a promotional tour.{{Efn|In his book DisneyWar, James B. Stewart states it was a plane trip across Europe while promoting The Little Mermaid (1989).{{sfn|Stewart|2005|p=108}} Allan Neuwirth and Don Hahn separately claimed it was for Oliver & Company (1988).{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=13}}AV MEDIA, Don Hahn, The Lion King: A Memoir, The Lion King: Diamond Edition, Blu-ray, 2011, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, }} During the conversation, the topic of a story set in Africa came up, and Katzenberg immediately jumped at the idea. Katzenberg decided to add elements involving coming of age and death, and ideas from personal life experiences, such as some of his trials in his career in politics, saying about the film, “It is a little bit about myself.“On October 11, 1988, Thomas Disch (the author of The Brave Little Toaster) had met with Fink and Roy E. Disney to discuss the idea, and within the next month, he had written a nine-paged treatment entitled King of the Kalahari.WEB,news.jamescumminsbookseller.com/59/, The Origins of ‘The Lion King’, October 22, 2011, James Cummins Book Seller,news.jamescumminsbookseller.com/?p=59," title="web.archive.org/web/20140413145705news.jamescumminsbookseller.com/?p=59,">web.archive.org/web/20140413145705news.jamescumminsbookseller.com/?p=59, April 13, 2014, {{sfn|Chandler|2018|p=335}} Throughout 1989, several Disney staff writers, including Jenny Tripp, Tim Disney, Valerie West and Miguel Tejada-Flores, had written treatments for the project. Tripp’s treatment, dated on March 2, 1989, introduced the name “Simba” for the main character, who gets separated from his pride and is adopted by Kwashi, a baboon, and Mabu, a mongoose. He is later raised in a community of baboons. Simba battles an evil jackal named Ndogo, and reunites with his pride.{{sfn|Chandler|2018|pp=338–339}} Later that same year, Fink recruited his friend J. T. Allen, a writer, to develop new story treatments. Fink and Allen had earlier made several trips to a Los Angeles zoo to observe the animal behavior that was to be featured in the script. Allen completed his script, which was titled The Lion King, on January 19, 1990. However, Fink, Katzenberg, and Roy E. Disney felt Allen’s script could benefit from a more experienced screenwriter, and turned to Ronald Bass, who had recently won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Rain Man (1988). At the time, Bass was preoccupied to rewrite the script himself, but agreed to supervise the revisions. The new script, credited to both Allen and Bass, was retitled King of the Beasts and completed on May 23, 1990.{{sfn|Chandler|2018|pp=338–339}}Sometime later, Linda Woolverton, who was also writing Beauty and the Beast (1991), spent a year writing several drafts of the script, which was titled King of the Beasts and then King of the Jungle.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=14}} The original version of the film was vastly different from the final product. The plot centered on a battle between lions and baboons, with Scar being the leader of the baboons, Rafiki being a cheetah,AV MEDIA, The Pride of the King, The Lion King: Diamond Edition, Blu-ray, 2011, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, and Timon and Pumbaa being Simba’s childhood friends. Simba would not only leave the kingdom but become a “lazy, slovenly, horrible character” due to manipulations from Scar, so Simba could be overthrown after coming of age.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|pp=107–108}} By 1990, producer Thomas Schumacher, who had just completed The Rescuers Down Under (1990), decided to attach himself to the project “because lions are cool”.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=14}} Schumacher likened the King of the Jungle script to “an animated National Geographic special”.George Scribner, who had directed Oliver & Company (1988), was the initial director of the film,MAGAZINE, Daly, Steve, Mane Attraction,ew.com/article/1994/07/08/storyboard-screen/, Entertainment Weekly, 230, July 8, 1994, September 30, 2020, September 4, 2014,www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302837,00.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20140904092026www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302837,00.html,">web.archive.org/web/20140904092026www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302837,00.html, dead, being later joined by Roger Allers, who was the lead story man on Beauty and the Beast (1991).{{sfn|Koenig|1997|p=227}} Allers worked with Scribner and Woolverton on the project, but temporarily left the project to help rewrite Aladdin (1992). Eight months later, Allers returned to the project,{{sfn|Kroyer|Sito|2019|pp=267–268}} and brought Brenda Chapman and Chris Sanders with him.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=147}} In October 1991, several of the lead crew members, including Allers, Scribner, Chapman, Sanders, and Lisa Keene visited Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya, in order to study and gain an appreciation of the environment for the film.{{sfn|Finch|1994|pp=168–169}}{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=108}} After six months of story development work, Scribner decided to leave the project upon clashing with Allers and the producers over their decision to turn the film into a musical, since Scribner’s intention was of making a documentary-like film more focused on natural aspects. By April 1992, Rob Minkoff had replaced Scribner as the new co-director.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=147}}Don Hahn joined the production as the film’s producer because Schumacher was promoted to Vice President of Development for Walt Disney Feature Animation.{{sfn|Finch|1994|p=166}}PRESS RELEASE,www.disney.com.au/tlk/media/TLK_Media_Kit_v4.pdf, The Lion King: The Landmark Musical Event, 2013, Walt Disney Company, February 14, 2014, 7,www.disney.com.au/tlk/media/TLK_Media_Kit_v4.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20140222175039www.disney.com.au/tlk/media/TLK_Media_Kit_v4.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20140222175039www.disney.com.au/tlk/media/TLK_Media_Kit_v4.pdf, February 22, 2014, dead, mdy-all, Hahn found the script unfocused and lacking a clear theme, and after establishing the main theme as “leaving childhood and facing up to the realities of the world”, asked for a final retool. Allers, Minkoff, Chapman, and Hahn then rewrote the story across two weeks of meetings with directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, who had finished directing Beauty and the Beast (1991).{{sfn|Finch|1994|pp=165–193}} One of the definite ideas that stemmed from the meetings was to have Mufasa return as a ghost. Allers also changed the character Rafiki from a more serious court advisor into a wacky shaman.{{sfn|Kroyer|Sito|2019|p=268}} The title was also changed from King of the Jungle to The Lion King, as the setting was not the jungle but the savannah. It was also decided to make Mufasa and Scar brothers, as the writers felt it was much more interesting if the threat came from someone within the family.AV MEDIA, Story Origins, The Lion King: Platinum Edition, Disc 2, DVD, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 2003, Allers and Minkoff pitched the revised story to Katzenberg and Michael Eisner, to which Eisner felt the story “could be more Shakespearean”; he suggested modeling the story on King Lear. Maureen Donley, an associate producer, countered, stating that the story resembled Hamlet.WEB,projectorandorchestra.com/the-music-of-the-lion-king-a-20th-anniversary-conversation-with-rob-minkoff-and-mark-mancina/, The Music of The Lion King: A 20th Anniversary Conversation with Rob Minkoff and Mark Mancina, Projector & Orchestra, September 17, 2014, October 12, 2022,projectorandorchestra.com/the-music-of-the-lion-king-a-20th-anniversary-conversation-with-rob-minkoff-and-mark-mancina/," title="web.archive.org/web/20141016235009projectorandorchestra.com/the-music-of-the-lion-king-a-20th-anniversary-conversation-with-rob-minkoff-and-mark-mancina/,">web.archive.org/web/20141016235009projectorandorchestra.com/the-music-of-the-lion-king-a-20th-anniversary-conversation-with-rob-minkoff-and-mark-mancina/, October 16, 2014, live, Continuing on the idea, Allers recalled Katzenberg asking them to “put in as much Hamlet as you can”. However, they felt it was too forced, and looked to other heroic archetypes such as the stories of Joseph and Moses from the Bible.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=149}}Not counting most of the segments from Fantasia (1940), Saludos Amigos (1942), The Three Caballeros (1944), Make Mine Music (1946) and Melody Time (1948); and The Rescuers Down Under (1990) (a sequel to The Rescuers (1977)), The Lion King was the first Disney animated feature to be an original story, rather than be based on pre-existing works and characters. The filmmakers have stated that the story of The Lion King was inspired by the lives of Joseph and Moses from the Bible, and Shakespeare’s Hamlet, though the story has also drawn some comparisons to Shakespeare’s lesser known plays Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2.VIDEO,www.youtube.com/watch?v=judjEmaTJAs, YouTube, The Lion King, or The History of King Simba I - Summer of Shakespeare, KyleKallgrenBHH, September 10, 2015, September 2, 2022, YouTube, By this point, Woolverton had left the production to work on the Broadway adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. To replace her, Allers and Minkoff met with numerous screenwriters, including Billy Bob Thornton and Joss Whedon, to discuss writing the new screenplay. During the summer of 1992, Irene Mecchi was hired as the new screenwriter, and months later, she was joined by Jonathan Roberts. Mecchi and Roberts took charge of the revision process, fixing unresolved emotional issues in the script and adding comedic situations for Pumbaa, Timon, and the hyenas.{{sfn|Finch|1994|p=171}} Lyricist Tim Rice worked closely with the screenwriting team, flying to California at least once a month, as his songs for the film needed to work in the narrative continuity. Rice’s lyrics—which were reworked up to the production’s end—were pinned to the storyboards during development.{{sfn|Finch|1994|p=172}} Rewrites were frequent, with animator Andreas Deja saying that completed scenes would be delivered, only for the response to be that parts needed to be reanimated because of dialogue changes.{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=176}} Casting The voice actors were chosen for how they fit and could add to the characters; for instance, James Earl Jones was cast because the directors found his voice “powerful” and similar to a lion’s roar. Jones remarked that during the years of production, Mufasa “became more and more of a dopey dad instead of [a] grand king”.Nathan Lane auditioned for Zazu, and Ernie Sabella for one of the hyenas. Upon meeting at the recording studio, Lane and Sabella{{snd}}who were starring together in a Broadway production of Guys and Dolls at the time{{snd}}were asked to record together as hyenas. The directors laughed at their performance and decided to instead cast them as Timon and Pumbaa.AV MEDIA, The Making of The Lion King, The Lion King laserdisc, Laserdisc, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 1995, NEWS,articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/15/entertainment/la-et-lion-king-20110915, A ‘Lion’s’ tale, Susan, King, Los Angeles Times, September 15, 2011, October 24, 2011, October 24, 2011,articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/15/entertainment/la-et-lion-king-20110915," title="web.archive.org/web/20111024102445articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/15/entertainment/la-et-lion-king-20110915,">web.archive.org/web/20111024102445articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/15/entertainment/la-et-lion-king-20110915, dead, For the hyenas, the original intention was to reunite Cheech & Chong, but while Cheech Marin agreed to voice Banzai, Tommy Chong was unavailable. His role was changed into a female hyena, Shenzi, voiced by Whoopi Goldberg, who insisted on being in the film. The English double act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer auditioned for roles as a pair of chipmunks; according to Mortimer, the producers were enthusiastic, but he and Reeves were uncomfortable with their corporate attitude and abandoned the film.BOOK, Mortimer, Bob, And Away, Gallery Books, 2021, 978-1398505292, Chapter 25, Rowan Atkinson was initially uninterested in the studio’s offer to voice Zazu, later explaining that “voice work is something I generally had never done and never liked [...] I’m a visual artist, if I’m anything, and it seemed to be a pointless thing to do”. His friend and fellow Mr. Bean writer/actor Robin Driscoll convinced him to accept the role, and Atkinson retrospectively expressed that The Lion King became “a really, very special film”.MAGAZINE,ew.com/movies/2018/10/28/rowan-atkinson-zazu-the-lion-king/, Why Rowan Atkinson originally didn’t want to be the voice of Zazu in The Lion King, Entertainment Weekly, A. Cydney, Hayes, October 28, 2018, July 11, 2022, October 28, 2018,web.archive.org/web/20181028191432/https://ew.com/movies/2018/10/28/rowan-atkinson-zazu-the-lion-king/, live, Matthew Broderick was cast as adult Simba early during production. Broderick only recorded with another actor once over the three years he worked on the film, and only learned that Moira Kelly voiced Nala at the film’s premiere.NEWS,www.nytimes.com/2002/12/27/movies/at-the-movies.html, The Lion Evolves, The New York Times, Dave, Kehr, December 27, 2002, April 5, 2014, April 10, 2014,www.nytimes.com/2002/12/27/movies/at-the-movies.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20140410193357www.nytimes.com/2002/12/27/movies/at-the-movies.html,">web.archive.org/web/20140410193357www.nytimes.com/2002/12/27/movies/at-the-movies.html, live, limited, English actors Tim Curry, Malcolm McDowell, Alan Rickman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen were considered for the role of Scar,BOOK, Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary, Hischak, Thomas S, McFarland, 2011, 9780786486946, United States, 106,books.google.com/books?id=e1RTP8thtR0C&pg=PA106, Google Books, which eventually went to fellow Englishman Jeremy Irons.WEB, Knolle, Sharon,news.moviefone.com/2014/06/14/lion-king-facts/," title="web.archive.org/web/20140617142313news.moviefone.com/2014/06/14/lion-king-facts/,">web.archive.org/web/20140617142313news.moviefone.com/2014/06/14/lion-king-facts/,news.moviefone.com/2014/06/14/lion-king-facts/, ‘The Lion King’: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About the Disney Classic, June 14, 2014, July 11, 2014, June 17, 2014, dead, Moviefone, Irons initially turned down the part, as he felt uncomfortable going to a comedic role after his dramatic portrayal of Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune (1990). His performance in that film inspired the writers to incorporate more of his acting as von Bülow in the script{{snd}}adding one of that character’s lines, “You have no idea“{{snd}}and prompted animator Andreas Deja to watch Reversal of Fortune and Damage (1992) in order to incorporate Irons’ facial traits and tics.WEB,www.moviefone.com/2011/09/15/jeremy-irons-and-james-earl-jones-on-the-lion-king-3d-and-keep/," title="web.archive.org/web/20160306025255www.moviefone.com/2011/09/15/jeremy-irons-and-james-earl-jones-on-the-lion-king-3d-and-keep/,">web.archive.org/web/20160306025255www.moviefone.com/2011/09/15/jeremy-irons-and-james-earl-jones-on-the-lion-king-3d-and-keep/,news.moviefone.com/2011/09/15/jeremy-irons-and-james-earl-jones-on-the-lion-king-3d-and-keep/, Jeremy Irons and James Earl Jones on ‘The Lion King 3D’ and Keeping It Together When Mufasa Dies, Moviefone, March 6, 2016, dead, September 15, 2011, Aiden, Redmond, April 5, 2014, NEWS,articles.latimes.com/1994-05-15/entertainment/ca-57883_1_jeremy-irons, SUMMER SNEAKS ‘94: You Can’t Hide His Lion Eyes, Los Angeles Times, May 15, 1994, Chris, Willman, April 5, 2014, April 7, 2014,articles.latimes.com/1994-05-15/entertainment/ca-57883_1_jeremy-irons," title="web.archive.org/web/20140407123607articles.latimes.com/1994-05-15/entertainment/ca-57883_1_jeremy-irons,">web.archive.org/web/20140407123607articles.latimes.com/1994-05-15/entertainment/ca-57883_1_jeremy-irons, dead, Animation The development of The Lion King coincided with that of Pocahontas (1995), which most of the animators of Walt Disney Feature Animation decided to work on instead, believing it would be the more prestigious and successful of the two. The story artists also did not have much faith in the project, with Chapman declaring she was reluctant to accept the job “because the story wasn’t very good”,{{sfn|Neuwirth|2003|p=107}} and Burny Mattinson telling his colleague Joe Ranft: “I don’t know who is going to want to watch that one.“PODCAST, Animation Podcast 017 - Burny Mattinson, Part Two, Kaytis, Clay,podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/animation-podcast-016-burny-mattinson-part-one/id73331075?i=1000424937971, Apple Podcasts, 2006-09-04, Most of the leading animators either were doing their first major work supervising a character, or had much interest in animating an animal. Thirteen of these supervising animators, both in California and in Florida, were responsible for establishing the personalities and setting the tone for the film’s main characters. The animation leads for the main characters included Mark Henn on young Simba, Ruben A. Aquino on adult Simba, Andreas Deja on Scar, Aaron Blaise on young Nala, Anthony DeRosa on adult Nala, and Tony Fucile on Mufasa. Nearly twenty minutes of the film, including the “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” sequence,AV MEDIA, The Lion King — Audio Commentary, Roger Allers, Don Hahn, Rob Minkoff, 1995, LaserDisc, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, was animated at the Disney-MGM Studios facility. More than 600 artists, animators, and technicians contributed to The Lion King. Weeks before the film’s release, the 1994 Northridge earthquake shut down the studio and required the animators to complete via remote work.NEWS,www.filmstories.co.uk/news/how-1994s-the-lion-king-had-to-be-completed-in-peoples-spare-rooms/, How 1994’s The Lion King had to be completed in people’s spare rooms, Simon, Brew, Film Stories, 8 November 2019, The character animators studied real-life animals for reference, as was done for Bambi (1942). Jim Fowler, renowned wildlife expert, visited the studios on several occasions with an assortment of lions and other savannah inhabitants to discuss behavior and help the animators give their drawings authenticity.{{sfn|Finch|1994|p=173}} The animators also studied animal movements at the Miami MetroZoo under guidance from wildlife expert Ron Magill.WEB, FilMiami’s Shining Star: Ron Magill,www.filmiami.org/news_11May_Ron.asp, FilmMiami, Miami-Dade County, May 24, 2015, dead,www.filmiami.org/news_11May_Ron.asp," title="web.archive.org/web/20150525015758www.filmiami.org/news_11May_Ron.asp,">web.archive.org/web/20150525015758www.filmiami.org/news_11May_Ron.asp, May 25, 2015, mdy-all, The Pride Lands are modeled on the Kenyan national park visited by the crew. Varied focal lengths and lenses were employed to differ from the habitual portrayal of Africa in documentaries—which employ telephoto lenses to shoot the wildlife from a distance. The epic feel drew inspiration from concept studies by artist Hans Bacher—who, following Scribner’s request for realism, tried to depict effects such as lens flare—and the works of painters Charles Marion Russell, Frederic Remington, and Maxfield Parrish.{{sfn|Finch|1994|p=170}}BOOK, 66, Dream worlds: production design for animation, Hans P., Bacher, 2008, Focal Press, 978-0-240-52093-3, Art director Andy Gaskill and the filmmakers sought to give the film a sense of grand sweep and epic scale similar to Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Gaskill explained: “We wanted audiences to sense the vastness of the savannah and to feel the dust and the breeze swaying through the grass. In other words, to get a real sense of nature and to feel as if they were there. It’s very difficult to capture something as subtle as a sunrise or rain falling on a pond, but those are the kinds of images that we tried to get.” The filmmakers also watched the films of John Ford and other filmmakers, which also influenced the design of the film.Because the characters were not anthropomorphized, all the animators had to learn to draw four-legged animals, and the story and character development was done through the use of longer shots following the characters.Computers helped the filmmakers present their vision in new ways. For the “wildebeest stampede” sequence, several distinct wildebeest characters were created in a 3D computer program, multiplied into hundreds, cel shaded to look like drawn animation, and given randomized paths down a mountainside to simulate the real, unpredictable movement of a herd.AV MEDIA, The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 2), Computer Animation, DVD, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 2003, Five specially trained animators and technicians spent more than two years creating the two-and-a-half-minute stampede. The Computer Animation Production System (CAPS) helped simulate camera movements such as tracking shots, and was employed in coloring, lighting, and particle effects. Music Lyricist Tim Rice, who was working with composer Alan Menken on songs for Aladdin (1992), was invited to write songs for The Lion King, and accepted on the condition of bringing in a composing partner. As Menken was unavailable, the producers accepted Rice’s suggestion of Elton John, after Rice’s invitation of ABBA fell through due to Benny Andersson’s commitments to the stage musical Kristina frÃ¥n DuvemÃ¥la. John expressed an interest in writing “ultra-pop songs that kids would like; then adults can go and see those movies and get just as much pleasure out of them”, mentioning a possible influence of The Jungle Book (1967), where he felt the “music was so funny and appealed to kids and adults”.MAGAZINE, Elton John: The Billboard Interview, White, Timothy, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, 95–96,books.google.com/books?id=1wkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA27, October 4, 1997, Google Books, March 13, 2016, September 28, 2014,books.google.com/books?id=1wkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA27," title="web.archive.org/web/20140928214157books.google.com/books?id=1wkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA27,">web.archive.org/web/20140928214157books.google.com/books?id=1wkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA27, live, Rice and John wrote five original songs for The Lion King (“Circle of Life”, “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”, “Be Prepared”, “Hakuna Matata”, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight“), with John’s performance of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” playing over the end credits. The IMAX and DVD releases added another song, “The Morning Report”, based on a song discarded during development that eventually featured in the live musical version of The Lion King.AV MEDIA, The Making of The Morning Report, The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 1), DVD, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 2003, The score was composed by Hans Zimmer, who was hired based on his earlier work on two films in African settings, A World Apart (1988) and The Power of One (1992),{{sfn|Finch|1994|pp=192–193}} and supplemented the score with traditional African music and choir elements arranged by Lebo M.AV MEDIA, The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 1), Music: African Influence, DVD, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 2003, Zimmer’s partners Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin helped with arrangements and song production.AV MEDIA NOTES, The Lion King, Hans Zimmer, Elton John, Tim Rice, Walt Disney Records, Booklet, 1994, 60858-7, The Lion King original motion picture soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on April 27, 1994. It was the fourth-best-selling album of the year on the Billboard 200 and the top-selling soundtrack.MAGAZINE,www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/the-billboard-200,www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/the-billboard-200," title="web.archive.org/web/20080601191853www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/the-billboard-200,">web.archive.org/web/20080601191853www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/the-billboard-200, June 1, 2008, Year-end 1994 Billboard 200, August 5, 2008, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, It is the only soundtrack to an animated film to be certified Diamond (10× platinum) by the Recording Industry Association of America. Zimmer’s complete instrumental score for the film was never originally given a full release, until the soundtrack’s commemorative (Walt Disney Records: The Legacy Collection#The Lion King|twentieth anniversary re-release) in 2014.NEWS, Grisham, Lori, Walt Disney Records to release legacy collection,www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/07/walt-disney-to-release-legacy-collection/8803881/, June 25, 2014, USA Today, May 7, 2014, September 14, 2015,www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/07/walt-disney-to-release-legacy-collection/8803881/," title="web.archive.org/web/20150914072407www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/07/walt-disney-to-release-legacy-collection/8803881/,">web.archive.org/web/20150914072407www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/05/07/walt-disney-to-release-legacy-collection/8803881/, live, The Lion King also inspired the 1995 release Rhythm of the Pride Lands, with eight songs by Zimmer, Mancina, and Lebo M.MAGAZINE, Rhythm of the Pride Lands: The Musical Journey Continues ..., Billboard, January 5, 1995,books.google.com/books?id=ugsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80, March 13, 2016, July 4, 2014,books.google.com/books?id=ugsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80," title="web.archive.org/web/20140704181925books.google.com/books?id=ugsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80,">web.archive.org/web/20140704181925books.google.com/books?id=ugsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80, live, The use of the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in a scene with Timon and Pumbaa led to disputes between Disney and the family of South African Solomon Linda, who composed the song (originally titled “Mbube“) in 1939. In July 2004, Linda’s family filed a lawsuit, seeking $1.6 million in royalties from Disney. In February 2006, Linda’s heirs reached a settlement with Abilene Music, who held the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney for an undisclosed amount of money.NEWS, BBC News, February 16, 2006, Disney settles Lion song dispute,news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4721564.stm, August 12, 2008, February 22, 2014,news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4721564.stm," title="web.archive.org/web/20140222062508news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4721564.stm,">web.archive.org/web/20140222062508news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4721564.stm, live, Marketing For The Lion King{{’}}s first film trailer, Disney opted to feature a single scene, the entire opening sequence with the song “Circle of Life”. Buena Vista Pictures Distribution president Dick Cook said the decision was made for such an approach because “we were all so taken by the beauty and majesty of this piece that we felt like it was probably one of the best four minutes of film that we’ve seen”, and Don Hahn added that “Circle of Life” worked as a trailer as it “came off so strong, and so good, and ended with such a bang”. The trailer was released in November 1993, accompanying The Three Musketeers (1993) and (Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit) (1993) in theaters; by then, only a third of The Lion King had been completed.WEB,articles.latimes.com/1993-11-29/entertainment/ca-62180_1_lion-king, November 29, 1993, Welkos, Robert W., Will ‘Lion King’ Be Disney’s Next ‘Beast’?, Los Angeles Times, April 5, 2014, March 4, 2014,articles.latimes.com/1993-11-29/entertainment/ca-62180_1_lion-king," title="web.archive.org/web/20140304054040articles.latimes.com/1993-11-29/entertainment/ca-62180_1_lion-king,">web.archive.org/web/20140304054040articles.latimes.com/1993-11-29/entertainment/ca-62180_1_lion-king, dead, Audience reaction was enthusiastic, causing Hahn to have some initial concerns as he became afraid of not living up to the expectations raised by the preview.WEB, Brew, Simon,www.denofgeek.com/movies/18284/don-hahn-interview-the-lion-king-disney-pixar-frankenweenie-and-the-future-of-animation, Don Hahn interview: The Lion King, Disney, Pixar, Frankenweenie and the future of animation, Den of Geek (Dennis Publishing), November 3, 2011, April 5, 2014, February 22, 2014,www.denofgeek.com/movies/18284/don-hahn-interview-the-lion-king-disney-pixar-frankenweenie-and-the-future-of-animation," title="web.archive.org/web/20140222151600www.denofgeek.com/movies/18284/don-hahn-interview-the-lion-king-disney-pixar-frankenweenie-and-the-future-of-animation,">web.archive.org/web/20140222151600www.denofgeek.com/movies/18284/don-hahn-interview-the-lion-king-disney-pixar-frankenweenie-and-the-future-of-animation, live, Prior to the film’s release, Disney did 11 test screenings.Upon release, The Lion King was accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign which included tie-ins with Burger King, Mattel, Kodak, Nestlé, and Payless ShoeSource, and various merchandise,NEWS,www.nytimes.com/1994/07/12/business/in-the-realm-of-marketing-the-lion-king-rules.html, In the Realm of Marketing, ‘The Lion King’ Rules, The New York Times, Hofmeister, Sallie, July 12, 1994, April 5, 2014, November 14, 2013,www.nytimes.com/1994/07/12/business/in-the-realm-of-marketing-the-lion-king-rules.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm," title="web.archive.org/web/20131114155950www.nytimes.com/1994/07/12/business/in-the-realm-of-marketing-the-lion-king-rules.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm,">web.archive.org/web/20131114155950www.nytimes.com/1994/07/12/business/in-the-realm-of-marketing-the-lion-king-rules.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm, live, limited, accounting 186 licensed products.BOOK, Research in media promotion, Susan, Tyler Eastman, Routledge, 2000, 978-0-8058-3382-9, 244, BOOK, Hollywood planet: global media and the competitive advantage of narrative transparency, 216, Scott Robert, Olson, Taylor & Francis, 1999, 978-0-8058-3230-3, In 1994, Disney earned approximately $1 billion with products based on the film,MAGAZINE,www.ew.com/article/1995/06/23/look-movie-merchandising, Playing for Keeps, Entertainment Weekly, April 5, 2014, Pat H., Broeske, June 23, 1995, February 24, 2015,www.ew.com/article/1995/06/23/look-movie-merchandising," title="web.archive.org/web/20150224022514www.ew.com/article/1995/06/23/look-movie-merchandising,">web.archive.org/web/20150224022514www.ew.com/article/1995/06/23/look-movie-merchandising, live, with $214 million for Lion King toys during Christmas 1994 alone.BOOK, The Disneyization of Society,archive.org/details/disneyizationsoc00brym, limited, Alan, Bryman, 86, Sage, 2004, 978-0-7619-6765-1, Release Theatrical The Lion King had a limited release in the United States on June 15, 1994, playing in only two theaters, El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles and Radio City Music Hall in New York City,NEWS, Eller, Claudia,articles.latimes.com/1994-04-07/entertainment/ca-43276_1_lion-king, Summer Movie Hype Coming In Like a ‘Lion’, Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1994, April 16, 2020, March 5, 2016,articles.latimes.com/1994-04-07/entertainment/ca-43276_1_lion-king," title="web.archive.org/web/20160305003210articles.latimes.com/1994-04-07/entertainment/ca-43276_1_lion-king,">web.archive.org/web/20160305003210articles.latimes.com/1994-04-07/entertainment/ca-43276_1_lion-king, dead, and featuring live shows with ticket prices up to $30.MAGAZINE, Mane Event, Variety (magazine), Variety, June 20, 1994, 1, The wide release followed on June 24, 1994, in 2,550 screens. The digital surround sound of the film led many of those theaters to implement Dolby Laboratories’ newest sound systems.NEWS, Fantel, Hans,www.nytimes.com/1994/06/12/business/technology-cinema-sound-gets-a-digital-lift.html, Technology; Cinema Sound Gets a Digital Life, The New York Times, June 12, 1994, April 5, 2014, March 9, 2014,www.nytimes.com/1994/06/12/business/technology-cinema-sound-gets-a-digital-lift.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20140309122752www.nytimes.com/1994/06/12/business/technology-cinema-sound-gets-a-digital-lift.html,">web.archive.org/web/20140309122752www.nytimes.com/1994/06/12/business/technology-cinema-sound-gets-a-digital-lift.html, live, limited, Localization When first released in 1994, The Lion King numbered 28 versions overall in as many languages and dialects worldwide, including a special Zulu version made specifically for the film in South Africa, where a Disney USA team went to find the Zulu voice-actors. This is not just the only Zulu dubbing ever made by Disney, but also the only one made in any African language, other than Arabic.WEB,disneyinternationalvoices.weebly.com/nala.html, Nala, CHARGUIGOU, fr, 2019-12-02, July 25, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190725174217/https://disneyinternationalvoices.weebly.com/nala.html, live, WEB, Inkosi Ubhubesi / The Lion King Zulu Voice Cast,www.non-disneyinternationaldubbingcredits.com/inkosi-ubhubesi--the-lion-king-zulu-voice-cast.html, WILLDUBGURU, en, live,web.archive.org/web/20191014080532/https://www.non-disneyinternationaldubbingcredits.com/inkosi-ubhubesi--the-lion-king-zulu-voice-cast.html, October 14, 2019, 2020-05-22, The Lion King marks also the first time a special dubbing is released in honor of a Disney movie background, but not the last: in 2016 the film Moana (2016) received a special Tahitian language version,MAGAZINE,ew.com/article/2016/10/25/moana-tahitian-language-translation/, ‘Moana’ to be First Disney Film Translated Into Tahitian Language, Entertainment Weekly, en, 2019-12-02, July 20, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190720201045/https://ew.com/article/2016/10/25/moana-tahitian-language-translation/, live, followed in 2017 by a Māori version,WEB,www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/339186/moana-in-maori-hits-the-big-screen, Moana in Māori hits the big screen, 2017-09-11, RNZ, en-nz, 2019-12-02, July 20, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190720201037/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/339186/moana-in-maori-hits-the-big-screen, live, in 2018 by a Hawaiian version;WEB,koolina.com/press/disneys-moana-make-world-premiere-%CA%BBolelo-hawai%CA%BBi-ko-olinas-world-oceans-day-june-10/, Disney’s Moana to make World Premiere in ‘ÅŒlelo Hawai’i at Ko Olina’s World Oceans Day, June 10, Ko Olina, en, 2019-12-02, February 24, 2019,koolina.com/press/disneys-moana-make-world-premiere-%CA%BBolelo-hawai%CA%BBi-ko-olinas-world-oceans-day-june-10/," title="web.archive.org/web/20190224072904koolina.com/press/disneys-moana-make-world-premiere-%CA%BBolelo-hawai%CA%BBi-ko-olinas-world-oceans-day-june-10/,">web.archive.org/web/20190224072904koolina.com/press/disneys-moana-make-world-premiere-%CA%BBolelo-hawai%CA%BBi-ko-olinas-world-oceans-day-june-10/, live, and in 2019 the film Frozen II (2019) was dubbed into Northern Sami, even though Frozen (2013) was not.WEB,www.animationmagazine.net/features/frozen-2-will-get-sami-language-version/, ‘Frozen 2’ Will Get Sámi Language Version, Milligan, Mercedes, 2019-07-19, Animation Magazine, en-US, 2019-12-02, July 20, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190720201038/https://www.animationmagazine.net/features/frozen-2-will-get-sami-language-version/, live, WEB,www.nrk.no/sapmi/fra-keiino-til-_disney_-stjerne_-_-jeg-matte-overvinne-frykten-1.14787410, Dette er de samiske Disney-stjernene, Idivuoma, Mariela, 2019-11-20, NRK, 2019-12-02, January 18, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200118114900/https://www.nrk.no/sapmi/fra-keiino-til-_disney_-stjerne_-_-jeg-matte-overvinne-frykten-1.14787410, live, By 2022, 45 language adaptations of the film had been produced. The special Zulu dubbing was made available on the streaming platform Disney+ in October 2022, together with the Māori dubbing of Moana, and the special Arapaho dubbing of Bambi.WEB, Oddo, Marco Vito, 2022-10-06, ‘Lion King,’ ‘Moana,’ and ‘Bambi’ Now Have Indigenous Language Dubs on Disney+ [Exclusive],collider.com/disney-plus-indigenous-language-dubs-lion-king-moana-bambi/, 2022-10-12, Collider, en-US, Following the success of the Māori dub of Moana, a Māori version of The Lion King was announced in 2021, and released theatrically on June 23, 2022, to align with the Māori holiday of Matariki.WEB,www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/126809383/tainui-royalty-and-ngti-kahungunu-jokesters-wanted-for-mori-lion-king, Tainui royalty and Ngāti Kahungunu jokesters wanted for Māori Lion King, 28 October 2021, Stuff (website), Stuff, Glenn, McConnell, NEWS,www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/469595/lion-king-reo-maori-premiere-a-dream-come-true, Lion King Reo Māori premiere: ‘A dream come true’, June 22, 2022, Radio New Zealand, June 22, 2022, Much of the Matewa Media production team, including producer Chelsea Winstanley, director Tweedie Waititi, and co-musical director Rob Ruha had previously worked on the Māori language version of Moana.NEWS,www.teaomaori.news/hunt-disneys-lion-king-reo-maori-cast-begins, The hunt for Disney’s The Lion King reo Māori cast begins, Piripi, Taylor, Teaomaori.news, October 28, 2021, July 9, 2022, The Lion King Reo Māori is the first time a language adaptation has translated Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” for the ending credits.NEWS,thespinoff.co.nz/atea/23-06-2022/how-the-lion-king-reo-maori-did-what-no-other-version-has-done-before, How The Lion King Reo Māori did what no other version has done before, Reweti, Kohere, The Spinoff, June 23, 2022, July 9, 2022, Re-releases IMAX and large-format The film was re-issued on December 25, 2002, for IMAX and large-format theaters. Don Hahn explained that eight years after The Lion King had its original release, “there was a whole new generation of kids who haven’t really seen it, particularly on the big screen.” Given the film had already been digitally archived during production, the restoration process was easier, while also providing many scenes with enhancements that covered up original deficiencies.WEB,in70mm.com/news/2002/lion_king/index.htm, December 2002, The Lion King: The IMAX Experience., Kallay, William, In 70mm, March 12, 2009, April 12, 2014,in70mm.com/news/2002/lion_king/index.htm," title="archive.today/20140412163645in70mm.com/news/2002/lion_king/index.htm,">archive.today/20140412163645in70mm.com/news/2002/lion_king/index.htm, live, WEB,www.dvdfile.com/news/special_report/in_the_round/lionking/1.html,www.dvdfile.com/news/special_report/in_the_round/lionking/1.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20071231043027www.dvdfile.com/news/special_report/in_the_round/lionking/1.html,">web.archive.org/web/20071231043027www.dvdfile.com/news/special_report/in_the_round/lionking/1.html, December 31, 2007, In the Round » Making ‘Return of the King’, March 12, 2009, An enhanced sound mix was also provided to, as Hahn explained, “make the audience feel like they’re in the middle of the movie.” On its first weekend, The Lion King made $2.7 million from 66 locations, a $27,664 per theater average. This run ended with $15.7 million on May 30, 2003.WEB,boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=releases&id=lionking.htm, Releases for The Lion King (1994), Box Office Mojo, April 5, 2014, April 6, 2014,www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=releases&id=lionking.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20140406224103www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=releases&id=lionking.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20140406224103www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=releases&id=lionking.htm, live, 3D conversion In 2011, The Lion King was converted to 3D for a two-week limited theatrical re-issue and subsequent 3D Blu-ray release.NEWS, McClintock, Pamela, Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ to Return to Theaters in Digital 3D,www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-lion-king-return-theaters-192621, May 26, 2011, The Hollywood Reporter, May 26, 2011, May 28, 2011,www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-lion-king-return-theaters-192621," title="web.archive.org/web/20110528151258www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-lion-king-return-theaters-192621,">web.archive.org/web/20110528151258www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-lion-king-return-theaters-192621, live, The film opened at the number one spot on Friday, September 16, 2011, with $8.9 millionWEB, Subers, Ray,boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3273&p=.htm, Friday Report: ‘Lion King’ Pounces on Weak Field,web.archive.org/web/20181216031126/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3273&p=.htm, December 16, 2018, Box Office Mojo, September 16, 2011, live, and finished the weekend with $30.2 million, ranking number one at the box office. This made The Lion King the first re-issue release to earn the number-one slot at the American weekend box office since the re-issue of Return of the Jedi (1983) in March 1997. The film also achieved the fourth-highest September opening weekend of all time.WEB,boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/month/?mo=09&p=.htm, TOP OPENING WEEKENDS BY MONTH SEPTEMBER, Box Office Mojo, April 5, 2014, April 4, 2014,boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/month/?mo=09&p=.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20140404141237boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/month/?mo=09&p=.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20140404141237boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/month/?mo=09&p=.htm, live, It held off very well on its second weekend, again earning first place at the box office with a 27 percent decline to $21.9 million.WEB,boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3278&p=.htm, Weekend Report: ‘Lion’ Remains ‘King,’ ‘Moneyball,’ ‘Dolphin Tale’ Go Extra Innings, April 16, 2020, November 7, 2018,web.archive.org/web/20181107015039/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3278&p=.htm, live, Most box-office observers had expected the film to fall about 50 percent in its second weekend and were also expecting Moneyball (2011) to be at first place.NEWS, McClintock, Pamela,www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-preview-brad-pitts-239296, Box Office Preview: Brad Pitt’s ‘Moneyball’ Looks to Out-Run Taylor Lautner’s ‘Abduction’, The Hollywood Reporter,web.archive.org/web/20200827192638/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-preview-brad-pitts-239296, August 27, 2020, September 22, 2011, live, After its initial box-office success, many theaters decided to continue to show the film for more than two weeks, even though its 3D Blu-ray release was scheduled for two and a half weeks after its theatrical release. In North America, the 3D re-release ended its run in theaters on January 12, 2012, with a gross of $94.2 million. Outside North America, it earned $83.4 million.WEB,boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking3d.htm, The Lion King (in 3D), Box Office Mojo, April 6, 2014, April 4, 2014,boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking3d.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20140404183541boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking3d.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20140404183541boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking3d.htm, live, The successful 3D re-release of The Lion King made Disney and Pixar plan 3D theatrical re-releases of Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo (2003), Monsters, Inc. (2001), and The Little Mermaid (1989) during 2012 and 2013.MAGAZINE, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Finding Nemo’, ‘Monsters, Inc.’ get 3-D re-releases,www.ew.com/article/2011/10/04/disney-3d-beauty-beast-mermaid, Entertainment Weekly, October 27, 2011, October 4, 2011, Grady, Smith, March 26, 2015,www.ew.com/article/2011/10/04/disney-3d-beauty-beast-mermaid," title="web.archive.org/web/20150326184249www.ew.com/article/2011/10/04/disney-3d-beauty-beast-mermaid,">web.archive.org/web/20150326184249www.ew.com/article/2011/10/04/disney-3d-beauty-beast-mermaid, live, However, none of the re-releases of the first three films achieved the enormous success of The Lion King 3D and the theatrical re-release of The Little Mermaid was ultimately cancelled.Multiple sources: WEB,www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3601&p=.htm, 2012 Recap (cont.): Losers, Box Office Mojo, January 14, 2013, January 19, 2013,boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3601&p=.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20130119004739boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3601&p=.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20130119004739boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3601&p=.htm, live, WEB,collider.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-5-release-date-the-muppets-2-release-date/, Release Dates for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 5, THE MUPPETS 2, and 1952; MALEFICENT Pushed Back to July 2014, Collider, January 14, 2013, January 14, 2013, January 19, 2013,collider.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-5-release-date-the-muppets-2-release-date/," title="web.archive.org/web/20130119085759collider.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-5-release-date-the-muppets-2-release-date/,">web.archive.org/web/20130119085759collider.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-5-release-date-the-muppets-2-release-date/, live, MAGAZINE,variety.com/2013/film/news/disney-dates-pirates-muppets-sequels-1118064645/, Disney dates ‘Pirates,’ ‘Muppets’ sequels, Variety, January 14, 2013, October 2, 2013,variety.com/2013/film/news/disney-dates-pirates-muppets-sequels-1118064645/," title="web.archive.org/web/20131002144617variety.com/2013/film/news/disney-dates-pirates-muppets-sequels-1118064645/,">web.archive.org/web/20131002144617variety.com/2013/film/news/disney-dates-pirates-muppets-sequels-1118064645/, live, NEWS, Fritz, Ben, Disney cancels ‘Little Mermaid 3-D,’ dates ‘Pirates 5’ for 2015,articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/14/entertainment/la-et-ct-disney-cancels-little-mermaid-3d-pirates-5-2015-20130114, January 14, 2013, Los Angeles Times, January 14, 2013, February 23, 2013,articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/14/entertainment/la-et-ct-disney-cancels-little-mermaid-3d-pirates-5-2015-20130114," title="web.archive.org/web/20130223182945articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/14/entertainment/la-et-ct-disney-cancels-little-mermaid-3d-pirates-5-2015-20130114,">web.archive.org/web/20130223182945articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/14/entertainment/la-et-ct-disney-cancels-little-mermaid-3d-pirates-5-2015-20130114, dead, In 2012, Ray Subers of Box Office Mojo wrote that the reason why the 3D version of The Lion King succeeded was because, “the notion of a 3D re-release was still fresh and exciting, and The Lion King (3D) felt timely given the movie’s imminent Blu-ray release. Audiences have been hit with three 3D re-releases in the year since, meaning the novelty value has definitely worn off.“WEB,boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3526&p=.htm, Weekend Report: ‘Resident Evil 5,’ ‘Nemo 3D’ Lead Another Slow Weekend,web.archive.org/web/20181106222728/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3526&p=.htm, November 6, 2018, Box Office Mojo, December 12, 2020, live, Disney100 As part of Disney’s 100th anniversary, The Lion King was re-released between September 29 to October 12, 2023 in selected Cinemark theaters across the United States as well as Helios theaters across Poland on October 8.NEWS, Woodroof, Cory,ftw.usatoday.com/2023/06/disney-movies-releases-theaters-100th-anniversary, 8 Disney classics (Toy Story!) re-releasing in movie theaters for its 100th anniversary, For the Win, USA Today, June 29, 2023, July 5, 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230629200522/https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/06/disney-movies-releases-theaters-100th-anniversary, June 29, 2023, live, WEB, NoMonday, Uwielbiane klasyki wracajÄ… na ekrany kin Helios z okazji 100-lecia Disneya!,www.agora.pl/uwielbiane-klasyki-wracaja-na-ekrany-kin-helios-z-okazji-100-lecia-disneya, 2023-10-24, www.agora.pl, pl, Home media The Lion King was first released on VHS and LaserDisc in the United States on March 3, 1995, under Disney’s “Masterpiece Collection” video series. The VHS edition of this release contained a special preview for Walt Disney Pictures’ then-upcoming animated feature film Pocahontas (1995), in which the title character (voiced by Judy Kuhn) sings the musical number “Colors of the Wind”.NEWS, Brown, Laura,www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-11-ca-41357-story.html, Growling at ‘The Lion King’ Video, Los Angeles Times, March 11, 1995, December 6, 2021, December 6, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20211206053629/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-11-ca-41357-story.html, live, limited, In addition, Deluxe Editions of both formats were released. The VHS Deluxe Edition included the film, an exclusive lithograph of Rafiki and Simba (in some editions), a commemorative “Circle of Life” epigraph, six concept art lithographs, another tape with the half-hour TV special The Making of The Lion King, and a certificate of authenticity. The CAV laserdisc Deluxe Edition also contained the film, six concept art lithographs and The Making of The Lion King, and added storyboards, character design artwork, concept art, rough animation, and a directors’ commentary that the VHS edition did not have, on a total of four double sided discs. The VHS tape quickly became the best-selling videotape of all time: 4.5 million tapes were sold on the first dayWEB, ComingSoon.Net, The Lion King home video selling figures,comingsoon.net/news.php?id=1818, October 9, 2003, July 7, 2006,www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=1818," title="web.archive.org/web/20050222065417www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=1818,">web.archive.org/web/20050222065417www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=1818, February 22, 2005, and ultimately sales totaled more than 30 millionMAGAZINE, Entertainment Weekly, “Lion King” sets new records with DVD release,www.ew.com/article/2003/10/13/lion-king-sets-new-records-dvd-release, August 16, 2008, Gary, Susman, October 13, 2003, April 11, 2015,www.ew.com/article/2003/10/13/lion-king-sets-new-records-dvd-release," title="web.archive.org/web/20150411042630www.ew.com/article/2003/10/13/lion-king-sets-new-records-dvd-release,">web.archive.org/web/20150411042630www.ew.com/article/2003/10/13/lion-king-sets-new-records-dvd-release, live, before these home video versions went into moratorium in 1997.WEB, Lionking.org, TLK on Home Video,www.lionking.org/homevideo.html, September 24, 2006, October 10, 2006,www.lionking.org/homevideo.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20061010180557www.lionking.org/homevideo.html,">web.archive.org/web/20061010180557www.lionking.org/homevideo.html, live, The VHS releases have sold a total of 32{{nbsp}}million units in North America,WEB, Charts – TOP VENTES VHS,www.jpbox-office.com/topvhs.php, JP’s Box Office, November 24, 2018, November 24, 2018,www.jpbox-office.com/topvhs.php," title="web.archive.org/web/20181124003357www.jpbox-office.com/topvhs.php,">web.archive.org/web/20181124003357www.jpbox-office.com/topvhs.php, live, and grossed {{US$|520 million|long=no}} in sales revenue.WEB, Grover, Ronald,www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1998-02-15/the-entertainment-glut, The Entertainment Glut, Bloomberg Businessweek, Bloomberg L.P., February 16, 1998, May 1, 2017, October 12, 2017,web.archive.org/web/20171012095740/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1998-02-15/the-entertainment-glut, live, In addition, 23{{nbsp}}million units were shipped overseas to international markets.JOURNAL, Standard & Poor’s Industry Surveys, Standard & Poor’s Industry Surveys, 1996, 164, 2, 29,books.google.com/books?id=yhscAQAAMAAJ, Standard & Poor’s Corporation, The top-selling video of 1995 was Disney’s The Lion King, which sold more than 30{{nbsp, million copies in North America after its release in March of that year. Toward the end of 1995, another 23{{nbsp}}million copies of the animated musical were shipped for sale in international markets. |via=Google Books |access-date=June 23, 2019 |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820030413books.google.com/books?id=yhscAQAAMAAJ |url-status=live }} In the Philippines, the film was released on VHS in March 1995 by Magnavision.NEWS, Red, Isah Vasquez, Scary and scarred,news.google.com/newspapers?id=u2UVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ygoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6206%2C1458574, April 16, 2021, Manila Standard, Kamahalan Publishing Corp., March 10, 1995, 22, April 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210416072029/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u2UVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ygoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6206,1458574, live, The film sold more than {{nowrap|55 million}} video copies worldwide by August 1997, making it the best-selling home video title of all time.BOOK, Best-Selling Video, The Guinness Book of Records 1999, 1998, Guinness World Records, 978-0-85112-070-6, 215,archive.org/details/guinnessbookofre0000unse_z7f4/page/215, On October 7, 2003, the film was re-released on VHS and released on DVD for the first time, titled The Lion King: Platinum Edition, as part of Disney’s Platinum Edition line of DVDs. The DVD release featured two versions of the film on the first disc, a remastered version created for the 2002 IMAX release and an edited version of the IMAX release purporting to be the original 1994 theatrical version.WEB, UltimateDisney.com, The Lion King: Platinum Edition DVD Review (Page 2) which shows the differences between the film presented on the DVD and the original theatrical cut,www.dvdizzy.com/thelionking2.html, January 24, 2009, July 18, 2011,www.dvdizzy.com/thelionking2.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20110718113034www.dvdizzy.com/thelionking2.html,">web.archive.org/web/20110718113034www.dvdizzy.com/thelionking2.html, live, A second disc, with bonus features, was also included in the DVD release. The film’s soundtrack was provided both in its original Dolby 5.1 track and in a new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, making this one of the first Disney DVDs so equipped.WEB, IGN, April 16, 2003, The Lion King Special Edition,www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/16/the-lion-king-special-edition-2, September 18, 2006, March 22, 2013,www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/16/the-lion-king-special-edition-2," title="web.archive.org/web/20130322040209www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/16/the-lion-king-special-edition-2,">web.archive.org/web/20130322040209www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/16/the-lion-king-special-edition-2, live, This THX certified two-disc DVD release also contains several games, Timon and Pumbaa’s Virtual Safari, deleted scenes, music videos and other bonus features.WEB,www.dvdmg.com/lionking.shtml, The Lion King: Platinum Edition (1994) - DVD Movie Guide, By means of seamless branching, the film could be viewed either with or without a newly created scene â€“ a short conversation in the film replaced with a complete song (“The Morning Report“). A Special Collector’s Gift Set was also released, containing the DVD set, five exclusive lithographed character portraits (new sketches created and signed by the original character animators), and an introductory book entitled The Journey. The Platinum Edition of The Lion King featured changes made to the film during its IMAX re-release, including re-drawn crocodiles in the “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” sequence as well as other alterations. More than two million copies of the Platinum Edition DVD and VHS units were sold on the first day of release. A DVD box set of the three The Lion King films (in two-disc Special Edition formats) was released on December 6, 2004. In January 2005, the film, along with the sequels, went back into moratorium.WEB, UltimateDisney.com, Out of Print Disney DVDs,www.dvdizzy.com/disneyvault.html, September 24, 2006, September 8, 2014,www.dvdizzy.com/disneyvault.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20140908163433www.dvdizzy.com/disneyvault.html,">web.archive.org/web/20140908163433www.dvdizzy.com/disneyvault.html, live, The DVD releases have sold a total of 11.9{{nbsp}}million units and grossed {{US$|220 million|long=no}}.WEB, Charts – TOP VENTES DVD,www.jpbox-office.com/topdvd.php, JP’s Box Office, November 24, 2018, November 25, 2018,www.jpbox-office.com/topdvd.php," title="web.archive.org/web/20181125162934www.jpbox-office.com/topdvd.php,">web.archive.org/web/20181125162934www.jpbox-office.com/topdvd.php, live, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the Diamond Edition of The Lion King on October 4, 2011.NEWS, Audiences to Experience Disney’s “The Lion King” Like Never Before,www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/audiences-to-experience-disneys-the-lion-king-like-never-before-122647058.html, May 26, 2011, PR News Wire, May 26, 2011, May 30, 2011,www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/audiences-to-experience-disneys-the-lion-king-like-never-before-122647058.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20110530074215www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/audiences-to-experience-disneys-the-lion-king-like-never-before-122647058.html,">web.archive.org/web/20110530074215www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/audiences-to-experience-disneys-the-lion-king-like-never-before-122647058.html, live, This marks the first time that the film has been released in high-definition Blu-ray and on Blu-ray 3D.NEWS, Exclusive: Lion King 3D Blu-ray Details,www.ign.com/articles/2011/05/25/exclusive-lion-king-3d-blu-ray-details, May 26, 2011, IGN, May 25, 2011, October 17, 2014,www.ign.com/articles/2011/05/25/exclusive-lion-king-3d-blu-ray-details," title="web.archive.org/web/20141017000144www.ign.com/articles/2011/05/25/exclusive-lion-king-3d-blu-ray-details,">web.archive.org/web/20141017000144www.ign.com/articles/2011/05/25/exclusive-lion-king-3d-blu-ray-details, live, The initial release was produced in three different packages: a two-disc version with Blu-ray and DVD; a four-disc version with Blu-ray, DVD, Blu-ray 3D, and digital copy; and an eight-disc box set that also includes the sequels (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride) and The Lion King 1½. A standalone single-disc DVD release also followed on November 15, 2011. The Diamond Edition topped the Blu-ray charts with over 1.5 million copies sold.WEB,www.homemediamagazine.com/blu-ray-disc/lion-king-fast-five-propel-blu-ray-record-breaking-week-25386, ‘Lion King,’ ‘Fast Five’ Propel Blu-ray to Record-breaking Week, Home Media Magazine, October 18, 2011, John, Latchem, December 24, 2011,www.homemediamagazine.com/blu-ray-disc/lion-king-fast-five-propel-blu-ray-record-breaking-week-25386," title="web.archive.org/web/20140222035539www.homemediamagazine.com/blu-ray-disc/lion-king-fast-five-propel-blu-ray-record-breaking-week-25386,">web.archive.org/web/20140222035539www.homemediamagazine.com/blu-ray-disc/lion-king-fast-five-propel-blu-ray-record-breaking-week-25386, February 22, 2014, The film sold 3.83 million Blu-ray units in total, leading to a $101.14 million income.WEB,www.the-numbers.com/news/125440830-Blu-ray-Sales-Vamps-Defeat-Tramp, Blu-ray Sales: Vamp Defeat Tramp, The Numbers, March 1, 2012, C.S.Strowbridge, March 1, 2012, June 17, 2015,www.the-numbers.com/news/125440830-Blu-ray-Sales-Vamps-Defeat-Tramp," title="web.archive.org/web/20150617125416www.the-numbers.com/news/125440830-Blu-ray-Sales-Vamps-Defeat-Tramp,">web.archive.org/web/20150617125416www.the-numbers.com/news/125440830-Blu-ray-Sales-Vamps-Defeat-Tramp, live, The Lion King was once again released to home media as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection first released on Digital HD on August 15, 2017, and on Blu-ray and DVD on August 29, 2017.WEB,www.broadwayworld.com/article/John-Favreau-Shares-First-Look-at-Live-Action-LION-KING-at-D23-Expo-20170717, {{sic, Jo, hn, y, Favreau Shares First Look at Live-Action LION KING at D23 Expo|work=Broadway World|date=July 17, 2017|author=|access-date=July 17, 2017|archive-date=July 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720135400www.broadwayworld.com/article/John-Favreau-Shares-First-Look-at-Live-Action-LION-KING-at-D23-Expo-20170717|url-status=live}}The Lion King was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and 4K digital download on December 3, 2018.WEB,ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/64094/thelionking4kultrahdbluray.html, The Lion King – 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultra HD Review {{!, High Def Digest|website=ultrahd.highdefdigest.com|access-date=2019-01-22|archive-date=November 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114010733ultrahd.highdefdigest.com/64094/thelionking4kultrahdbluray.html|url-status=live}} Reception Box office The Lion King grossed $422.8 million in North America and $545.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $968.5 million.BOX OFFICE MOJO, 0110357, The Lion King (1994), January 23, 2021, October 23, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20201023015833/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0110357/, live, After its initial run, having earned $763.5 million,WEB, The Lion King (1994): Original Release, Box Office Mojo,www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr1310020101/, January 8, 2023, it ranked as the highest-grossing animated film of all time, the highest-grossing film of Walt Disney Animation Studios,NEWS,www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/frozen-becomes-highestgrossing-disney-animated-film-of-all-time-9058069.html, Frozen becomes highest-grossing Disney animated film of all time, The Independent, Hooton, Christopher, January 14, 2014, April 5, 2014, April 7, 2014,www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/frozen-becomes-highestgrossing-disney-animated-film-of-all-time-9058069.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20140407205444www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/frozen-becomes-highestgrossing-disney-animated-film-of-all-time-9058069.html,">web.archive.org/web/20140407205444www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/frozen-becomes-highestgrossing-disney-animated-film-of-all-time-9058069.html, live, and the highest-grossing film of 1994.WEB,boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1994&p=.htm, 1994 WORLDWIDE GROSSES, September 26, 2011, September 28, 2011,boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1994&p=.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20110928105321boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1994&p=.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20110928105321boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1994&p=.htm, live, It was the second-highest-grossing film of all time, behind Jurassic Park (1993). The film remained as the second-highest-grossing film until the spot was taken by Independence Day (1996) two years later.WEB, “You Can’t Actually Blow Up the White House”: An Oral History of ‘Independence Day’,www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/independence-day-movie-cast-oral-history-1234976626/, The Hollywood Reporter, July 2, 2021, It held the record for the highest-grossing animated feature film (in North America, outside North America, and worldwide) until it was surpassed by Finding Nemo (2003). With the earnings of the 3D run, The Lion King surpassed all the aforementioned films but Toy Story 3 (2010) to rank as the second-highest-grossing animated film worldwide—later dropping to ninth, and then tenth, surpassed by its photorealistic CGI remake counterpart—and it remains the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated film.WEB,boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3274&p=.htm, Weekend Report: ‘Lion King’ Regains Box Office Crown, Subers, Ray, September 19, 2011, Box Office Mojo, April 5, 2014, April 3, 2014,boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3274&p=.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20140403220734boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3274&p=.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20140403220734boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3274&p=.htm, live, It is also the biggest animated movie of the last 50 years in terms of estimated attendance.WEB,boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3272&p=.htm, Forecast: ‘Lion King’ to Roar Again, Gray, Brandon, September 16, 2011, Box Office Mojo, April 5, 2014, April 4, 2014,boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3272&p=.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20140404223012boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3272&p=.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20140404223012boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3272&p=.htm, live, The Lion King was also the highest-grossing G-rated film in the United States from 1994 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2019 until its total was surpassed by Toy Story 4 (2019) (unadjusted for inflation).WEB,www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic/mpaa.htm?page=G&p=.htm, Top Grossing G Rated at Box Office Mojo, Box Office Mojo, August 18, 2019, September 1, 2019, April 4, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190404003513/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/domestic/mpaa.htm?page=G&p=.htm, live, Original theatrical run During the first two days of limited release in two theaters, The Lion King grossed $622,277, and for the weekend it earned nearly $1.6 million, placing the film in tenth place at the box office.WEB,articles.latimes.com/1994-06-20/entertainment/ca-6420_1_lion-king, ‘Wolf,’ ‘Lion King’ Grab the Movie-Goers, Los Angeles Times, June 20, 1994, Natale, Richard, April 5, 2014, March 4, 2014,articles.latimes.com/1994-06-20/entertainment/ca-6420_1_lion-king," title="web.archive.org/web/20140304054050articles.latimes.com/1994-06-20/entertainment/ca-6420_1_lion-king,">web.archive.org/web/20140304054050articles.latimes.com/1994-06-20/entertainment/ca-6420_1_lion-king, dead, The average of $793,377 per theater stands as the largest ever achieved during a weekend,WEB,boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/theateravg.htm?page=THTRAVG&p=.htm, Top Weekend Theater Averages, Box Office Mojo, September 26, 2011, September 19, 2011,boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/theateravg.htm?page=THTRAVG&p=.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20110919155141boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/theateravg.htm?page=THTRAVG&p=.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20110919155141boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/theateravg.htm?page=THTRAVG&p=.htm, live, and it was the highest-grossing opening weekend on under 50 screens, beating the record set by Star Wars (1977) from 43 screens.MAGAZINE, Daily Variety, September 20, 1994, 24, All-Time Opening Weekends: 50 Screens or Less, The film grossed nearly $3.8 million from the two theaters in just 10 days.MAGAZINE, Domestic Box Office, Variety (magazine), Variety, June 27, 1994, 10, When it opened wide, The Lion King grossed $40.9 million—which at the time was the fourth biggest opening weekend ever and the highest sum for a Disney film—to top the weekend box office. It displaced the previous box office champion Wolf.NEWS, ‘Lion King’ rules nation’s box office,www.upi.com/Archives/1994/06/27/Lion-King-rules-nations-box-office/8015772689600/, February 13, 2022, United Press International, June 27, 1994, February 13, 2022,web.archive.org/web/20220213141317/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/06/27/Lion-King-rules-nations-box-office/8015772689600/, live, At that time, it easily topped the previous biggest 1994 opening, which was the $37.2 million earned by The Flintstones during the four-day Memorial Day weekend. The film also produced the third-highest opening weekend gross of any film, trailing only behind Jurassic Park (1993) and Batman Returns (1992).NEWS,www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-06-28-9406280249-story.html, ‘Lion King’ Opening with Box Office Roar, Chicago Tribune, June 28, 1994,web.archive.org/web/20220125151611/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-06-28-9406280249-story.html, January 25, 2022, live, For five years, the film held the record for having the highest opening weekend for an animated film until it was surpassed by Toy Story 2 (1999).NEWS, Lyman, Rick, Those Toys Are Leaders In Box-Office Stampede,www.nytimes.com/1999/11/29/movies/those-toys-are-leaders-in-box-office-stampede.html, March 25, 2022, The New York Times, November 29, 1999, March 19, 2022,web.archive.org/web/20220319232310/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/29/movies/those-toys-are-leaders-in-box-office-stampede.html, live, It remained the number-one box office film for two weeks until it was displaced by Forrest Gump,WEB,www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-08-ca-13380-story.html, ‘Forrest Gump’ Off to Fast Start at Box Office, Los Angeles Times, July 8, 1994, followed by True Lies the week after.NEWS,www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-07-18-ca-17141-story.html, Powerhouses Fuel Sales at Box Office, July 18, 1994, Los Angeles Times, en-US, live,archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20100726023014/http://articles.latimes.com/1994-07-18/entertainment/ca-17141_1_true-lies, July 26, 2010, October 24, 2019, In September 1994, Disney pulled the film from movie theaters and announced that it would be re-released during Thanksgiving in order to take advantage of the holiday season.NEWS, Hofmeister, Sally,www.nytimes.com/1994/08/13/business/disney-to-put-lion-king-into-early-hibernation.html, Disney to Put ‘Lion King’ Into Early Hibernation, The New York Times, August 13, 1994, July 18, 2019, July 19, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190719002134/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/13/business/disney-to-put-lion-king-into-early-hibernation.html, live, limited, At the time, the film had earned $267 million in the United States.NEWS, Boyar, Jay,www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-11-18-9411170228-story.html, Disney’s ‘Lion King’ Returns For Another Reign At Theaters, Orlando Sentinel, November 18, 1994, October 13, 2022,articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-11-18/entertainment/9411170228_1_simba-lion-king-mufasa," title="web.archive.org/web/20151015200752articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-11-18/entertainment/9411170228_1_simba-lion-king-mufasa,">web.archive.org/web/20151015200752articles.orlandosentinel.com/1994-11-18/entertainment/9411170228_1_simba-lion-king-mufasa, October 15, 2015, live, Following its re-release, by March 1995, it had grossed $312.9 million, being the highest-grossing 1994 film in the United States and Canada, but was soon surpassed by Forrest Gump.WEB,movies.go.com/boxoffice?cat=1994,movies.go.com/boxoffice?cat=1994," title="web.archive.org/web/20080326022707movies.go.com/boxoffice?cat=1994,">web.archive.org/web/20080326022707movies.go.com/boxoffice?cat=1994, March 26, 2008, Top 50 movies of 1994, Movies.com, March 17, 2009, Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold over 74 million tickets in the US in its initial theatrical run,WEB, May 31, 2016,www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking.htm&adjust_yr=1&p=.htm, The Lion King (1994), Box Office Mojo, August 4, 2016,www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking.htm&adjust_yr=1&p=.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20160804215905www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking.htm&adjust_yr=1&p=.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20160804215905www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking.htm&adjust_yr=1&p=.htm, live, equivalent to $812.1 million adjusted for inflation in 2018.WEB, The Lion King (1994) – Domestic Total Adj. Gross (2018),www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking.htm&adjust_yr=2018&p=.htm, Box Office Mojo, 22 June 2019, December 1, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20201201235112/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3730736641/weekend/, live, Internationally, the film grossed $455.8 million during its initial run, for a worldwide total of $763.5 million. It had record openings in Sweden and Denmark.MAGAZINE, Variety (magazine), Variety, November 28, 1994, 17, ‘King’ breaks records in Euro bows, Groves, Don, Critical response {{anchor|Critics}} On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} with an average score of {{RT data|average}}, based on {{RT data|count}} reviews. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Emotionally stirring, richly drawn, and beautifully animated, The Lion King stands tall within Disney’s pantheon of classic family films.“ROTTEN TOMATOES, The Lion King (1994), {{RT data, rtid, y, |type=m|access-date={{RT data|access date}} |archive-date=September 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916175141www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lion_king |url-status=live }}{{RT data|edit}} It also ranked 56th on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Top 100 Animation Movies”.WEB, Top 100 Animation Movies â€” Rotten Tomatoes,www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/top_100_animation_movies, Rotten Tomatoes, May 9, 2019, dead,www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/top_100_animation_movies," title="web.archive.org/web/20150923072035www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/top_100_animation_movies,">web.archive.org/web/20150923072035www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt/top_100_animation_movies, September 23, 2015, At Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film received a score of 88 out of 100 based on 30 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.METACRITIC, the-lion-king, movie, The Lion King (1994), December 12, 2020, September 14, 2010,www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lion-king," title="web.archive.org/web/20100914212531www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lion-king,">web.archive.org/web/20100914212531www.metacritic.com/movie/the-lion-king, live, Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare “A+” grade on an A+ to F scale.WEB, Pamela, McClintock, Why CinemaScore Matters for Box Office,www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/why-cinemascore-matters-box-office-225563/, The Hollywood Reporter, August 19, 2011, July 19, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210719145918/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/why-cinemascore-matters-box-office-225563/, July 19, 2021, live, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three and a half stars out of a possible four and called it “a superbly drawn animated feature”. He further wrote in his print review, “The saga of Simba, which in its deeply buried origins owes something to Greek tragedy and certainly to Hamlet, is a learning experience as well as an entertainment.“WEB, Ebert, Roger, Roger Ebert, June 24, 1994, The Lion King review,www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lion-king-1994, live,www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lion-king-1994," title="web.archive.org/web/20140708195259www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lion-king-1994,">web.archive.org/web/20140708195259www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lion-king-1994, July 8, 2014, April 14, 2014, Chicago Sun-Times, rogerebert.com, Basically what we have here is a drama, with comedy occasionally lifting the mood., On the television program Siskel & Ebert, the film was praised but received a mixed reaction when compared to the previous Disney films. Ebert and his partner Gene Siskel both gave the film a “Thumbs Up”, but Siskel said that it was not as good as Beauty and the Beast and that it was “a good film, not a great one”.EPISODE, Roger (host), Ebert, Gene (host), Siskel,siskelebert.org/?p=5412, Speed, The Lion King, The Endless Summer II, City Slickers II, Siskel & Ebert, 8, 39, June 11, 1994, September 30, 2020, SiskelEbert.org, live, September 28, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200928081712/https://siskelebert.org/?p=5412, Hal Hinson of The Washington Post called it “an impressive, almost daunting achievement” and felt that the film was “spectacular in a manner that has nearly become commonplace with Disney’s feature-length animations”. However, he was less enthusiastic toward the end of his review saying, “Shakespearean in tone, epic in scope, it seems more appropriate for grown-ups than for kids. If truth be told, even for adults it is downright strange.“NEWS, Hinson, Hal, The Washington Post, June 24, 1994, The Lion King review,www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/review96/lionkinghin.htm, August 6, 2008, November 3, 2015,www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/review96/lionkinghin.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20151103221120www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/review96/lionkinghin.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20151103221120www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/review96/lionkinghin.htm, live, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly praised the film, writing that it “has the resonance to stand not just as a terrific cartoon but as an emotionally pungent movie”.MAGAZINE, Gleiberman, Owen, Entertainment Weekly, June 24, 1994, The Lion King movie review,www.ew.com/article/1994/06/24/lion-king-0, August 12, 2008, June 17, 2015,www.ew.com/article/1994/06/24/lion-king-0," title="web.archive.org/web/20150617124341www.ew.com/article/1994/06/24/lion-king-0,">web.archive.org/web/20150617124341www.ew.com/article/1994/06/24/lion-king-0, live, Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers praised the film and felt that it was “a hugely entertaining blend of music, fun, and eye-popping thrills, though it doesn’t lack for heart”.MAGAZINE, Travers, Peter, Rolling Stone, July 14, 1994, The Lion King movie review,www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947315/review/5947316/the_lion_king,www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947315/review/5947316/the_lion_king," title="web.archive.org/web/20080429201931www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947315/review/5947316/the_lion_king,">web.archive.org/web/20080429201931www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947315/review/5947316/the_lion_king, April 29, 2008, dead, August 13, 2008, James Berardinelli from Reelviews.net praised the film saying, “With each new animated release, Disney seems to be expanding its already-broad horizons a little more. The Lion King is the most mature (in more than one sense) of these films, and there clearly has been a conscious effort to please adults as much as children. Happily, for those of us who generally stay far away from ‘cartoons’, they have succeeded.“WEB, Berardinelli, James, Reelviews.net, The Lion King review,preview.reelviews.net/movies/l/lion_king.html, August 13, 2008, December 1, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20201201235129/https://preview.reelviews.net/movies/l/lion_king.html, live, Some reviewers still had problems with the film’s narrative. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times felt the film “is less of a piece than its revered predecessors and the first to have a core story noticeably less involving than its scintillating peripheral characters.“NEWS, Turan, Kenneth,www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-15-ca-4277-story.html, Movie Review: ‘The Lion King’ and His Court Jesters, Los Angeles Times, June 15, 1994,web.archive.org/web/20190720153929/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-15-ca-4277-story.html, July 20, 2019, live, TV Guide wrote that while The Lion King was technically proficient and entertaining, it “offers a less memorable song score than did the previous hits, and a hasty, unsatisfying dramatic resolution.“WEB, TV Guide, The Lion King movie review,www.tvguide.com/movies/lion-king/review/129956/, August 13, 2008, May 22, 2008,www.tvguide.com/movies/lion-king/review/129956," title="web.archive.org/web/20080522154235www.tvguide.com/movies/lion-king/review/129956,">web.archive.org/web/20080522154235www.tvguide.com/movies/lion-king/review/129956, live, The New Yorker{{’}}s Terrence Rafferty considered that despite the good animation, the story felt like “manipulat[ing] our responses at will”, as “Between traumas, the movie serves up soothingly banal musical numbers and silly, rambunctious comedy”.MAGAZINE, The New Yorker, Rafferty, Terrence, The Lion King movie review,www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/the_lion_king_minkoff, August 13, 2008,web.archive.org/web/20081218132505/https://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/the_lion_king_minkoff, December 18, 2008, dead, limited, Accolades{| class“wikitable plainrowheaders”
Academy Awards	Academy Award for Best Original Score>Best Original Score| Hans Zimmer| {{won}}	HTTP://WWW.OSCARS.ORG/OSCARS/CEREMONIES/1995 >TITLE=THE 67TH ACADEMY AWARDS (1995) NOMINEES AND WINNERS	WORK=ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES	URL-STATUS=LIVE	ARCHIVE-DATE=NOVEMBER 9, 2014,
Best Original Song| “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Tim Rice| {{won}}
Hakuna Matata (song)>Hakuna Matata” Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Tim Rice| {{nom}}
American Music Awards of 1996>American Music Awards	American Music Award for Top Soundtrack>Top Soundtrack	(The Lion King (1994 soundtrack)>The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)| {{won}}	HTTPS://WWW.THEAMAS.COM/WINNERS-DATABASE/?WINNERKEYWORD=&WINNERYEAR=1996 >TITLE=WINNERS DATABASE	AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS >ACCESS-DATE=MAY 31, 2022,
Annie Awards	Best Animated Feature| {{won}}	HTTPS://ANNIEAWARDS.ORG/LEGACY/22ND-ANNIE-AWARDS >TITLE=22ND ANNUAL ANNIE AWARDS	ANNIE AWARDS >ACCESS-DATE=JUNE 6, 2021,
Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in a Feature Production>Best Achievement in Story Contribution	Brenda Chapman {{small>(Head of Story)}}| {{won}}
Best Achievement in Production Design	Mark Henn {{small>(Supervising Animator for “Young Simba“)}}| {{nom}}
(Artistic Supervisor – Computer Graphics)}}| {{nom}}
(Art Director)}}| {{nom}}
Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production>Best Achievement in Voice Acting| Jeremy Irons| {{won}}
Casting Society of America#Artios Awards>Artios Awards| Animated Voice-Over Casting| Brian Chavanne| {{won}}	HTTP://WWW.CASTINGSOCIETY.COM/AWARDS/ARTIOS/1995 >TITLE=1995 ARTIOS AWARDS	ACCESS-DATE=NOVEMBER 24, 2017, Casting Society of America,
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards| Top Box Office Films| Hans Zimmer| {{won}}
DVD| {{won}}	HTTP://AWARDS.BAFTA.ORG/AWARD/2004/INTERACTIVE/ONLINE-LEARNINGLT;/REFGT; >TITLE=BAFTA AWARDS: INTERACTIVE IN 2004	BAFTA >YEAR=2004	REF={{HARVID	2004, }}
British Academy Film Awards	BAFTA Award for Best Original Music>Best Original Film Music| Hans Zimmer| {{nom}}	HTTP://AWARDS.BAFTA.ORG/AWARD/1995/FILM >TITLE=BAFTA AWARDS: FILM IN 1995	BAFTA >YEAR=1995	REF={{HARVID	1995, }}
BAFTA Award for Best Sound>Best Sound	Terry Porter (sound engineer)>Terry Porter, Mel Metcalfe, David J. Hudson, and Doc Kane| {{nom}}
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1994>Chicago Film Critics Association Awards	Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score>Best Original Score| Hans Zimmer| {{won}}	HTTPS://CHICAGOFILMCRITICS.ORG/AWARDS-BLOG/ARCHIVES >TITLE=1988-2013 AWARD WINNER ARCHIVES	CHICAGO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION >DATE=JANUARY 2013, August 24, 2021,
Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Animated>Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures| Terry Porter, Mel Metcalfe, David J. Hudson, and Doc Kane| {{nom}}
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards	Best Film| {{nom}}
Best Animated Film| {{won}}
Golden Globe Awards	Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy| {{won}}	HTTPS://WWW.GOLDENGLOBES.COM/FILM/LION-KING-1994 >TITLE=THE LION KING (1994) – GOLDEN GLOBES	HFPA >ACCESS-DATE=JULY 5, 2021	HFPA, 1992, }}
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score>Best Original Score – Motion Picture| Hans Zimmer| {{won}}
Best Original Song – Motion Picture| “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” Music by Elton John; Lyrics by Tim Rice| {{won}}
Golden Reel Awards	Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR for Animated Feature Film>Best Sound Editing – Animated Feature	Richard L. Anderson (sound effects editor)>Richard L. Anderson, Vince Caro, Doc Kane, and Mark A. Mangini| {{won}}
Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Underscore>Best Sound Editing – Music| Dominick Certo and Adam Milo Smalley| {{won}}
Grammy Awards	Song of the Year| “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” – Elton John and Tim Rice| {{nom}}	HTTPS://WWW.GRAMMY.COM/GRAMMYS/AWARDS/37TH-ANNUAL-GRAMMY-AWARDS >TITLE=1994 GRAMMY AWARD WINNERS	ACCESS-DATE=1 MAY 2011,
Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance>Best Male Pop Vocal Performance| “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” – Elton John| {{won}}
Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children>Best Musical Album for Children| The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Various Artists| {{won}}
Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children>Best Spoken Word Album for Children| The Lion King Read-Along – Robert Guillaume| {{won}}
Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals>Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocals| “Circle of Life” – Hans Zimmer and Lebo Morake| {{won}}
Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media>Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television| The Lion King – Hans Zimmer| {{nom}}
Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television| “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” – Elton John and Tim Rice| {{nom}}
International Film Music Critics Association>International Film Music Critics Association Awards	International Film Music Critics Association Award for Best New Archival Release of an Existing Score – Re-Release or Re-Recording>Best Archival Release of an Existing Score – Re-Release or Re-Recording| Hans Zimmer, Elton John, Tim Rice, Randy Thornton, Lorelay Bové, and Don Hahn| {{nom}}	HTTP://FILMMUSICCRITICS.ORG/AWARDS-ARCHIVE/2014-IFMCA-AWARDS/ >TITLE=2014 IFMCA AWARDS	INTERNATIONAL FILM MUSIC CRITICS ASSOCIATION >ACCESS-DATE=DECEMBER 18, 2021, {{Dead link	bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Best Animated Film| {{won}}	HTTPS://KCFCC.ORG/KCFCC-AWARD-WINNERS-1990-99/ >TITLE=KCFCC AWARD WINNERS – 1990-99	ACCESS-DATE=JULY 10, 2021,
1994 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards>Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards	Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film>Best Animation| Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff| {{won}}	HTTP://WWW.LAFCA.NET/YEARS/1994.PHP >TITLE=THE 20TH ANNUAL LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS	LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION >ACCESS-DATE=JULY 5, 2021,
MTV Movie Awards	MTV Movie Award for Best Villain>Best Villain| Jeremy Irons| {{nom}}	HTTP://WWW.MTV.COM/ONTV/MOVIEAWARDS/1995/>TITLE=1995 MOVIE AWARDS WINNERS	ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20080423094818/HTTP://WWW.MTV.COM/ONTV/MOVIEAWARDS/1995/	URL-STATUS=DEAD, August 30, 2021,
MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Moment>Best Song from a Movie| Elton John – “Can You Feel the Love Tonight“| {{nom}}
National Film Registry	Inducted}}	HTTPS://D23.COM/A-TO-Z/NATIONAL-FILM-REGISTRY/ >TITLE=NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY	D23 (DISNEY)>D23, May 29, 2022,
1995 Kids’ Choice Awards>Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards	Favorite Movie| {{won}}	HTTPS://WWW.CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM/NEWS/CT-XPM-1995-06-08-9506080010-STORY.HTML>TITLE=POPULAR VOTE	CHICAGO TRIBUNE>LAST=MANGAN	DATE=JUNE 8, 1995, June 14, 2020,
Online Film & Television Association Awards	Hall of Fame – Motion Picture	Inducted}}	HTTP://WWW.OFTAAWARDS.COM/FILM-HALL-OF-FAME/FILM-HALL-OF-FAME-PRODUCTIONS/ >TITLE=FILM HALL OF FAME PRODUCTIONS	ACCESS-DATE=MAY 15, 2021,
Inducted}}	HTTP://WWW.OFTAAWARDS.COM/FILM-HALL-OF-FAME/FILM-HALL-OF-FAME-SONGS/ >TITLE=FILM HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES: SONGS	ACCESS-DATE=AUGUST 15, 2021,
(2003)}}	Outstanding Youth DVD| {{won}}	HTTP://WWW.PRESSACADEMY.COM/SATAWARDS/AWARDS2004.SHTML >TITLE=INTERNATIONAL PRESS ACADEMY WEBSITE – 2004 8TH ANNUAL SATELLITE AWARDS	ARCHIVE-DATE=FEBRUARY 1, 2008,
(2011)}}| {{won}}	HTTPS://WWW.PRESSACADEMY.COM/AWARD_CAT/2011/ >TITLE=2011 SATELLITE AWARDS	SATELLITE AWARDS >ACCESS-DATE=AUGUST 24, 2021,
21st Saturn Awards	(1994)}}	Best Fantasy Film| {{nom}}	HTTP://WWW.SATURNAWARDS.ORG/PAST.HTML >TITLE=PAST SATURN AWARDS	SATURN AWARDS.ORG >ACCESS-DATE=MAY 7, 2008	ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20080914184217/HTTP://WWW.SATURNAWARDS.ORG/PAST.HTML	DF=MDY,
Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor>Best Performance by a Younger Actor| Jonathan Taylor Thomas| {{nom}}
(2003)}}	Best Classic Film DVD Release| {{nom}}
Turkish Film Critics Association>Turkish Film Critics Association Awards	Best Foreign Film	16th Place}}
Young Artist Awards	Best Family Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical| {{won}}	HTTP://WWW.YOUNGARTISTAWARDS.ORG/PASTNOMS16.HTM >TITLE=16TH ANNUAL YOUTH IN FILM AWARDS	WORK=YOUNGARTISTAWARDS.ORG	ARCHIVEURL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20100820064811/HTTP://WWW.YOUNGARTISTAWARDS.ORG/PASTNOMS16.HTM, 2010-08-20,
Best Performance by a Youth Actor in a Voice-Over – TV or Movie| Jonathan Taylor Thomas| {{nom}}

Other honors

In 2008, The Lion King was ranked as the 319th greatest film ever made by Empire magazine,NEWS, Braund, Simon, Glen Ferris, Ian Freer, Nev Pierce, Chris Hewitt, Dan Jolin, Ian Nathan, Kim Newman, Helen O’Hara, Olly Richards, Owen Willams, Empire, The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time,www.empireonline.com/500/34.asp, March 11, 2010, November 4, 2012,www.empireonline.com/500/34.asp," title="web.archive.org/web/20121104093241www.empireonline.com/500/34.asp,">web.archive.org/web/20121104093241www.empireonline.com/500/34.asp, live, and in June 2011, TIME named it one of “The 25 All-TIME Best Animated Films”.NEWS, The 25 All-TIME Best Animated Films â€“ The Lion King,entertainment.time.com/2011/06/23/the-25-all-time-best-animated-films/slide/the-lion-king-1994/, Time, August 19, 2011, Richard Corliss, June 23, 2011, October 22, 2011,entertainment.time.com/2011/06/23/the-25-all-time-best-animated-films/slide/the-lion-king-1994/," title="web.archive.org/web/20111022161020entertainment.time.com/2011/06/23/the-25-all-time-best-animated-films/slide/the-lion-king-1994/,">web.archive.org/web/20111022161020entertainment.time.com/2011/06/23/the-25-all-time-best-animated-films/slide/the-lion-king-1994/, dead, In June 2008, the American Film Institute listed The Lion King as the fourth best film in the animation genre in its AFI’s 10 Top 10 list,NEWS, American Film Institute, AFI’s 10 Top 10, June 17, 2008,www.afi.com/10top10/animation.html, June 18, 2008, June 19, 2008,www.afi.com/10top10/animation.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20080619174154www.afi.com/10top10/animation.html,">web.archive.org/web/20080619174154www.afi.com/10top10/animation.html, live, having previously put “Hakuna Matata” as 99th on its AFI’s 100 Years...100 Songs ranking.WEB,connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/songs100.pdf?docID=244,connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/songs100.pdf?docID=244," title="web.archive.org/web/20090919175606connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/songs100.pdf?docID=244,">web.archive.org/web/20090919175606connect.afi.com/site/DocServer/songs100.pdf?docID=244, September 19, 2009, The Top Movie Songs of All Time, May 22, 2008, American Film Institute, 2004, PDF, In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

Year-end lists

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• 2nd â€“ Douglas Armstrong, The Milwaukee JournalNEWS, Armstrong, Douglas, January 1, 1995, End-of-year slump is not a happy ending, The Milwaukee Journal, 2,
• 5th â€“ Sandi Davis, The OklahomanWEB, Davis, Sandi, January 1, 1995,oklahoman.com/article/2488350/oklahoman-movie-critics-rank-their-favorites-for-the-year-forrest-gump-the-very-best-sandi-declares, Oklahoman Movie Critics Rank Their Favorites for the Year “Forrest Gump” The Very Best, Sandi Declares, The Oklahoman, July 20, 2020, July 20, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200720065431/https://oklahoman.com/article/2488350/oklahoman-movie-critics-rank-their-favorites-for-the-year-forrest-gump-the-very-best-sandi-declares, live,
• 5th â€“ Todd Anthony, Miami New TimesNEWS, Anthony, Todd, January 5, 1995, Hits & Disses, Miami New Times,
• 6th â€“ Stephen Hunter, The Baltimore SunWEB, Hunter, Stephen, December 25, 1994,www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-12-25-1994359091-story.html, Films worthy of the title ‘best’ in short supply MOVIES, The Baltimore Sun, July 19, 2020, December 1, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20201201235137/https://www.baltimoresun.com/, live,
• 6th â€“ Christopher Sheid, The Munster TimesNEWS, Sheid, Christopher, December 30, 1994, A year in review: Movies, The Munster Times,
• 7th â€“ Joan Vadeboncoeur, Syracuse Herald AmericanNEWS, Vadeboncoeur, Joan, January 8, 1995, Critically Acclaimed Best Movies of ‘94 Include Works from Tarantino, Burton, Demme, Redford, Disney and Speilberg, Syracuse Herald American, 16, Final,
• 7th â€“ Dan Craft, The PantagraphNEWS, Craft, Dan, December 30, 1994, Success, Failure and a Lot of In-between; Movies ‘94, The Pantagraph, B1,
• 8th â€“ Steve Persall, St. Petersburg TimesNEWS, Persall, Steve, December 30, 1994, Fiction’: The art of filmmaking, St. Petersburg Times, 8, City,
• 8th â€“ Desson Howe, The Washington Post{{citation|last=Howe|first=Desson|date=December 30, 1994|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1994/12/30/the-envelope-please-reel-winners-and-losers-of-1994/3cf88a79-b416-4c9a-8ff1-8e9c9a91df37/|title=The Envelope Please: Reel Winners and Losers of 1994|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=July 19, 2020|archive-date=July 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722025114www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1994/12/30/the-envelope-please-reel-winners-and-losers-of-1994/3cf88a79-b416-4c9a-8ff1-8e9c9a91df37/|url-status=live}}
• 10th â€“ Mack Bates, The Milwaukee JournalNEWS, Bates, Mack, January 19, 1995, Originality of ‘Hoop Dreams’ makes it the movie of the year, The Milwaukee Journal, 3,
• 10th â€“ David Elliott, The San Diego Union-TribuneNEWS, Elliott, David, December 25, 1994, On the big screen, color it a satisfying time, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 1, 2, E=8,
• Top 7 (not ranked) â€“ Duane Dudek, Milwaukee SentinelNEWS, Dudek, Duane, December 30, 1994, 1994 was a year of slim pickings, Milwaukee Sentinel, 3,
• Top 9 (not ranked) â€“ Dan Webster, The Spokesman-ReviewNEWS, Webster, Dan, January 1, 1995, In Year of Disappointments, Some Movies Still Delivered, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, 2,
• Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) â€“ Matt Zoller Seitz, Dallas ObserverNEWS, Zoller Seitz, Matt, January 12, 1995, Personal best From a year full of startling and memorable movies, here are our favorites, Dallas Observer,
• Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) â€“ William Arnold, Seattle Post-IntelligencerNEWS, Arnold, William, December 30, 1994, ‘94 Movies: Best and Worst, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 20, Final,
• Top 10 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) â€“ Mike Mayo, The Roanoke TimesNEWS, Mayo, Mike, December 30, 1994, The Hits and Misses at the Movies in ‘94, The Roanoke Times, 1, Metro,
• Top 10 (not ranked) â€“ Bob Carlton, The Birmingham NewsNEWS, Carlton, Bob, December 29, 1994, It Was a Good Year at Movies, The Birmingham News, 12-01,
• “The second 10” (not ranked) â€“ Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake TribuneNEWS, P. Means, Sean, January 1, 1995, ‘Pulp and Circumstance’ After the Rise of Quentin Tarantino, Hollywood Would Never Be the Same, The Salt Lake Tribune, E1, Final,
• Honorable mention â€“ Michael MacCambridge, Austin American-StatesmanNEWS, MacCambridge, Michael, December 22, 1994, it’s a LOVE-HATE thing, Austin American-Statesman, 38, Final,
• Honorable mention â€“ Dennis King, Tulsa WorldNEWS, King, Dennis, December 25, 1994, SCREEN SAVERS In a Year of Faulty Epics, The Oddest Little Movies Made The Biggest Impact, Tulsa World, E1, Final Home,
• Honorable mention â€“ Glenn Lovell, San Jose Mercury NewsNEWS, Lovell, Glenn, December 25, 1994, The Past Picture Show the Good, the Bad and the Ugly – a Year Worth’s of Movie Memories, San Jose Mercury News, 3, Morning Final,
• Honorable mention â€“ John Hurley, Staten Island AdvanceNEWS, Hurley, John, December 30, 1994, Movie Industry Hit Highs and Lows in ‘94, Staten Island Advance, D11,
• Honorable mention â€“ Jeff Simon, The Buffalo NewsWEB, Simon, Jeff, January 1, 1995,buffalonews.com/news/movies-once-more-with-feeling/article_b73e9a1a-9f60-5d7a-a05c-289243ba0483.html, Movies: Once More, with Feeling, The Buffalo News, July 19, 2020, July 19, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200719132904/https://buffalonews.com/news/movies-once-more-with-feeling/article_b73e9a1a-9f60-5d7a-a05c-289243ba0483.html, live,

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Criticisms

Protests were raised against one scene where it appears as if the word “SEX” might have been embedded into the dust flying in the sky when Simba flops down,WEB, Snopes, The alleged “SEX” frame in The Lion King, December 31, 1996,www.snopes.com/disney/films/lionking.asp, July 1, 2006, which conservative activist Donald Wildmon asserted was a subliminal message intended to promote sexual promiscuity. Animator Tom Sito has stated that the letters spell “SFX” (a common abbreviation for “special effects“), not with an “E” instead of the “F”, and were intended as an innocent “signature” created by the effects animation team.BOOK, Disney: The Mouse Betrayed : Greed, Corruption, and Children at Risk, Schweizer, Peter, Schweizer, Rochelle, Regnery Pub., 1998, 142, 0895263874,archive.org/details/disneymousebetra00schw/page/142, Hyena biologists protested against the animal’s portrayal, though the complaints may have been somewhat tongue-in-cheek. One hyena researcher, who had organized the animators’ visit to the University of California, Berkeley, Field Station for the Study of Behavior, Ecology, and Reproduction, where they would observe and sketch captive hyenas,JOURNAL, The Spotted Hyena From Aristotle to the Lion King: Reputation is Everything, Glickman, Stephen, Social Research: An International Quarterly, 62, 3, Fall 1995, listed “boycott The Lion King” in an article listing ways to help preserve hyenas in the wild, and later “joke[d] that The Lion King set back hyena conservation efforts.“JOURNAL,www.lionconservation.org/PopularArticles/Girl-power,Africa-Geographic,2006.pdf, Girl Power, Laurence D., Frank, African Geographic, May 2006, July 29, 2010, July 27, 2011,www.lionconservation.org/PopularArticles/Girl-power,Africa-Geographic,2006.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20110727034458www.lionconservation.org/PopularArticles/Girl-power,Africa-Geographic,2006.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20110727034458www.lionconservation.org/PopularArticles/Girl-power,Africa-Geographic,2006.pdf, live, WEB,www.berkeleyside.com/2014/09/15/berkeleys-captive-colony-of-spotted-hyenas-closes-after-30-years, Berkeley’s colony of spotted hyenas closes after 30 years, Orenstein, Natalie, 2014-09-15, Berkeleyside, en-US, 2019-08-29, August 29, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190829162615/https://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/09/15/berkeleys-captive-colony-of-spotted-hyenas-closes-after-30-years, live, Even so, the film was also credited with “spark[ing] an interest” in hyenas at the Berkeley center.The film has been criticized for race and class issues, with the hyenas seen as reflecting negative stereotypes of black and Latino ethnic communities.JOURNAL, Martin-Rodriguez, Manuel, Hyenas in The Pride Lands: Latinos/As and Immigration in Disney’s The Lion King, Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies, 2000, 25, 1, 47–67, 10.1525/azt.2000.25.1.47, 266898871, JOURNAL, Gooding-Williams, Robert, Disney in Africa and the inner city: On race and space in The Lion King, Social Identities, 2, 1995, 1, 373–379, 10.1080/13504630.1995.9959442, NEWS, Foster, David, The Lion King Falls Prey to Howls of Sexism, Racism, Chicago Tribune, 26, Kimba the White Lion“>

Claims of resemblance to Kimba the White Lion

{{Further|Kimba the White Lion#Claims of resemblance to The Lion King|l1=Claims of resemblance to The Lion King}}(File:Earlypresentationreelwhitelionking.jpg|thumb|Screenshot from an early presentation reel of The Lion King that shows a white lion cub and a butterfly.)Certain elements of the film were thought to bear a resemblance to Osamu Tezuka’s 1960s Japanese anime television series Jungle Emperor (known as Kimba the White Lion in the United States), with some similarities between a number of characters and various individual scenes. The 1994 release of The Lion King drew a protest in Japan, where Kimba and its creator Osamu Tezuka are cultural icons. 488 Japanese cartoonists and animators, led by manga author Machiko Satonaka, signed a petition accusing Disney of plagiarism and demanding that they give due credit to Tezuka.BOOK, Raz, Aviad E., Riding the Black Ship: Japan and Tokyo Disneyland, 1999, Harvard University Asia Center, 9780674768949, 163,books.google.com/books?id=7Jk9mv25eloC&pg=PA163, November 26, 2018, August 18, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200818185404/https://books.google.com/books?id=7Jk9mv25eloC&pg=PA163, live, NEWS, Japanese animator protests ‘Lion King’,www.upi.com/Archives/1994/08/18/Japanese-animator-protests-Lion-King/4250777182400/, United Press International, August 18, 1994, November 26, 2018, November 26, 2018,web.archive.org/web/20181126180929/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/08/18/Japanese-animator-protests-Lion-King/4250777182400/, live, Matthew Broderick believed initially that he was, in fact, working on an American version of Kimba since he was familiar with the Japanese original.BOOK, Schweizer, Peter, Schweizer, Rochelle, Peter Schweizer, Disney: The Mouse Betrayed: Greed, Corruption, and Children at Risk,archive.org/details/disneymousebetra00schw, The Lyin’ King, Regnery, Washington, D.C., 1998, 167–168, 978-0-89-526-3872, registration, The Lion King director Roger Allers claimed complete unfamiliarity with the series until the movie was nearly completed, and did not remember it being ever mentioned during development.INTERVIEW, Fiamma, Andrea,www.fumettologica.it/2014/12/intervista-roger-allers-re-leone/2/, Intervista a Roger Allers, il regista de Il Re Leone, Fumettologica, December 12, 2014, March 30, 2015, February 1, 2015,www.fumettologica.it/2014/12/intervista-roger-allers-re-leone/2/," title="web.archive.org/web/20150201005055www.fumettologica.it/2014/12/intervista-roger-allers-re-leone/2/,">web.archive.org/web/20150201005055www.fumettologica.it/2014/12/intervista-roger-allers-re-leone/2/, live, The whole time I worked on The Lion King the name of that show never came up. At least I never heard it. I had never seen the show and really only became aware of it as Lion King was being completed, and someone showed me images of it. I worked with George Scribner and Linda Woolverton to develop the story in the early days but then left to help out on Aladdin. If one of them were familiar with Kimba they didn’t say. Of course, it’s possible... Many story ideas developed and changed along the way, always just to make our story stronger. I could certainly understand Kimba{{’, s creators feeling angry if they felt we had stolen ideas from them. If I had been inspired by Kimba I would certainly acknowledge my inspiration. All I can offer is my respect to those artists and say that their creation has its loyal admirers and its assured place in animation history.}} Madhavi Sunder has suggested that Allers might have seen the 1989 remake of Kimba on prime time television while living in Tokyo. However, while Allers did indeed move to Tokyo in 1983 in order to work on (Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland) (1989), he moved back to the United States in 1985, four years before the 1989 remake of Kimba began airing.BOOK, Sunder, Madhavi, From Goods to a Good Life: Intellectual Property and Global Justice, 2012, Yale University Press, 978-0300183559, 156,books.google.com/books?id=s7_q6zK0QD8C&pg=PA156, November 27, 2018, June 23, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200623071222/https://books.google.com/books?id=s7_q6zK0QD8C&pg=PA156, live, Co-director Rob Minkoff also stated that he was unfamiliar with it.NEWS, Robert W., Welkos, A ‘Kimba’ Surprise for Disney, July 13, 1994, Los Angeles Times,articles.latimes.com/1994-07-13/entertainment/ca-15117_1_lion-king, March 30, 2015, I know for a fact that [Kimba] has never been discussed as long as I’ve been on the project... In my experience, if Disney becomes aware of anything like that, they say you will not do it. People are claiming copyright infringement all the time, February 10, 2015,articles.latimes.com/1994-07-13/entertainment/ca-15117_1_lion-king," title="web.archive.org/web/20150210124542articles.latimes.com/1994-07-13/entertainment/ca-15117_1_lion-king,">web.archive.org/web/20150210124542articles.latimes.com/1994-07-13/entertainment/ca-15117_1_lion-king, live, Minkoff also observed that whenever a story is based in Africa, it is “not unusual to have characters like a baboon, a bird, or hyenas.“Takayuki Matsutani, the president of Tezuka Productions which created Kimba the White Lion, said in 1994 that “quite a few staff of our company saw a preview of The Lion King, discussed this subject and came to the conclusion that you cannot avoid having these similarities as long as you use animals as characters and try to draw images out of them”.NEWS, Bradley, Bill, Was ‘The Lion King’ Copied From A Japanese Cartoon? Here’s The Real Story, Huffington Post, 2015-01-27,www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/27/lion-king-kimba_n_6272316.html, 171, April 13, 2018, November 7, 2017,web.archive.org/web/20171107175930/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/27/lion-king-kimba_n_6272316.html, live, (updated Dec 06, 2017) Yoshihiro Shimizu of Tezuka Productions has refuted rumors that the studio was paid hush money by Disney and stated that they have no interest in suing Disney, explaining that “we think it’s a totally different story”. Shimizu further explained that they rejected urges from some American lawyers to sue because “we’re a small, weak company... Disney’s lawyers are among the top twenty in the world!“BOOK, Kelts, Roland, Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US, 2007, Palgrave Macmillan, reprint, 978-1-4039-8476-0, 45,books.google.com/books?id=f2rgCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA45, June 5, 2020, June 7, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200607143810/https://books.google.com/books?id=f2rgCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA45, live, Tezuka’s family and Tezuka Productions never pursued litigation.NEWS,www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/26/lion-king-has-been-clouded-by-intellectual-property-controversy-years-heres-story-behind-it, ‘Lion King’ has been clouded by intellectual property controversy for 25 years. Here’s the story behind it., Denham, Hannah, July 26, 2019, The Washington Post, June 3, 2020, registration, live,www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/26/lion-king-has-been-clouded-by-intellectual-property-controversy-years-heres-story-behind-it/," title="web.archive.org/web/20191028231636www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/26/lion-king-has-been-clouded-by-intellectual-property-controversy-years-heres-story-behind-it/,">web.archive.org/web/20191028231636www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/07/26/lion-king-has-been-clouded-by-intellectual-property-controversy-years-heres-story-behind-it/, October 28, 2019, Fred Ladd, who was involved early on with importing Kimba and other Japanese anime into America for NBC, expressed incredulity that Disney’s people could remain ignorant.BOOK, Sunder, Madhavi, From Goods to a Good Life: Intellectual Property and Global Justice, Yale University Press, 2012,books.google.com/books?id=s7_q6zK0QD8C, 155156, 978-0300183559, April 13, 2018, December 1, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20201201235136/https://books.google.com/books?id=s7_q6zK0QD8C, live, Ladd stated there was at least one animator remembered by his colleagues as being an avid Kimba fan and being quite vociferous about Disney’s conduct during production.BOOK, Ladd, Fred, Fred Ladd, Deneroff, Harvey, Astro Boy and Anime Come to the Americas: An Insider’s View of the Birth of a Pop Culture Phenomenon, McFarland, 2008,books.google.com/books?id=rubax5GQA7kC&pg=PA64, 64, 9780786452576, April 13, 2018, August 19, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200819211302/https://books.google.com/books?id=rubax5GQA7kC&pg=PA64, live, Animators Tom Sito and Mark Kausler have both stated that they had watched Kimba as children in the 1960s. However, Sito maintains there was “absolutely no inspiration” from Kimba during the production of The Lion King, and Kausler emphasized Disney’s own Bambi as being their model during development.BOOK, Patten, Fred, Fred Patten, Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews, Stone Bridge Press, 2004,books.google.com/books?id=81Y1TVYQSrEC&pg=PT171, 171, 9781611725100, April 13, 2018, August 18, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200818203430/https://books.google.com/books?id=81Y1TVYQSrEC&lpg=PT171, live, {{ISBN|1-880656-92-2}}The controversy surrounding Kimba and The Lion King was parodied in The Simpsons episode “{{-’}}Round Springfield”, where Mufasa appears through the clouds and says, “You must avenge my death, Kimba... I mean, Simba.“NEWS, Was ‘The Lion King’ Copied From A Japanese Cartoon? Here’s The Real Story,www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lion-king-kimba_n_6272316, HuffPost, January 27, 2015, November 27, 2018, November 27, 2018,web.archive.org/web/20181127152007/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lion-king-kimba_n_6272316, live,

Legacy

Sequels and spin-offs

The first Lion King–related animated project was the spin-off television series, The Lion King’s Timon & Pumbaa, which centers on the characters of Timon and Pumbaa, as they have their own (mis)adventures both within’ and outside of the Serengeti. The show ran for three seasons and 85 episodes between 1995 and 1999. Ernie Sabella continued to voice Pumbaa, while Timon was voiced by Quinton Flynn and Kevin Schon in addition to Nathan Lane.BOOK, Encyclopedia of Walt Disney’s animated characters, Grant, John, 150, Hyperion Books, 1998, 0-7868-6336-6, One of the show’s music video segments “Stand By Me”, featuring Timon singing the eponymous song, was later edited into an animated short which was released in 1995, accompanying the theatrical release of Tom and Huck (1995).Disney released two direct-to-video films related to The Lion King. The first was sequel (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride), released in 1998 on VHS. The film centers around Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara, who falls in love with Kovu, a male lion who was raised in a pride of Scar’s followers, the Outsiders.WEB,www.nytimes.com/1998/10/23/movies/video-review-a-lion-king-with-girls-as-stars.html, VIDEO REVIEW; A ‘Lion King’ With Girls as Stars, James, Caryn, October 23, 1998, The New York Times, April 12, 2014, October 21, 2014,www.nytimes.com/1998/10/23/movies/video-review-a-lion-king-with-girls-as-stars.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20141021040210www.nytimes.com/1998/10/23/movies/video-review-a-lion-king-with-girls-as-stars.html,">web.archive.org/web/20141021040210www.nytimes.com/1998/10/23/movies/video-review-a-lion-king-with-girls-as-stars.html, live, limited, The Lion King 1½, another direct-to-video Lion King film, saw its release in 2004. It is a prequel in showing how Timon and Pumbaa met each other, and also a parallel in that it also depicts what the characters were retconned to have done during the events of the original movie.WEB,www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/06/the-lion-king-1-12-2, The Lion King 1 1/2, Patrizio, Andy, February 6, 2004, April 13, 2014, IGN, April 13, 2014,www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/06/the-lion-king-1-12-2," title="web.archive.org/web/20140413230437www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/06/the-lion-king-1-12-2,">web.archive.org/web/20140413230437www.ign.com/articles/2004/02/06/the-lion-king-1-12-2, live, In June 2014, it was announced that a new TV series based on the film would be released called The Lion Guard, featuring Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala. The Lion Guard is a sequel to The Lion King and takes place during the time-gap within The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride,WEB, Brett, Susan, EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Disney’s The Lion Guard creator Ford Riley talks new Lion King sequel,tvdaily.com/exclusive-interview-disneys-the-lion-guard-creator-ford-riley-talks-new-lion-king-sequel/, TVdaily.com, August 23, 2016, February 8, 2016, August 23, 2016,tvdaily.com/exclusive-interview-disneys-the-lion-guard-creator-ford-riley-talks-new-lion-king-sequel/," title="web.archive.org/web/20160823115446tvdaily.com/exclusive-interview-disneys-the-lion-guard-creator-ford-riley-talks-new-lion-king-sequel/,">web.archive.org/web/20160823115446tvdaily.com/exclusive-interview-disneys-the-lion-guard-creator-ford-riley-talks-new-lion-king-sequel/, live, with the last 2 episodes of Season 3 taking place after the events of that film. It was first broadcast on Disney Channel as a television film titled The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar in November 2015 before airing as a series on Disney Junior in January 2016.MAGAZINE,time.com/2851192/spin-off-of-the-lion-king-aims-to-enchant-a-new-generation-of-viewers, Melissa, Hellmann, Time, June 10, 2014, June 10, 2014, Spin-Off of The Lion King Aims to Enchant a New Generation of Viewers, June 10, 2014,time.com/2851192/spin-off-of-the-lion-king-aims-to-enchant-a-new-generation-of-viewers/," title="web.archive.org/web/20140610045620time.com/2851192/spin-off-of-the-lion-king-aims-to-enchant-a-new-generation-of-viewers/,">web.archive.org/web/20140610045620time.com/2851192/spin-off-of-the-lion-king-aims-to-enchant-a-new-generation-of-viewers/, live, WEB,variety.com/2015/tv/news/lion-king-tv-show-lion-guard-disney-1201567908/, Disney to Revive ‘Lion King’ With ‘Lion Guard’ TV Series, Steinberg, Brian, August 12, 2015, Variety, Variety Media, August 12, 2015, August 13, 2015,variety.com/2015/tv/news/lion-king-tv-show-lion-guard-disney-1201567908/," title="web.archive.org/web/20150813121645variety.com/2015/tv/news/lion-king-tv-show-lion-guard-disney-1201567908/,">web.archive.org/web/20150813121645variety.com/2015/tv/news/lion-king-tv-show-lion-guard-disney-1201567908/, live,

CGI remake

In September 2016, following the critical and financial success of The Jungle Book, Walt Disney Pictures announced that they were developing a CGI remake of The Lion King by the same name, with Jon Favreau directing.WEB,thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-jon-favreau-the-lion-king/, Disney and Jon Favreau Joining Forces on “The Lion King”, The Walt Disney Company, September 28, 2016, September 28, 2016, September 29, 2016,web.archive.org/web/20160929013751/https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-jon-favreau-the-lion-king/, live, The following month, Jeff Nathanson was hired to write the script for the film.WEB,www.insidethemagic.net/2016/10/disneys-live-action-lion-king-hires-jeff-nathanson-to-pen-script/, Disney’s Live-Action ‘Lion King’ hires Jeff Nathanson to pen script, Inside the Magic, McCabe, Adam, October 13, 2016, February 18, 2017, February 18, 2017,www.insidethemagic.net/2016/10/disneys-live-action-lion-king-hires-jeff-nathanson-to-pen-script/," title="web.archive.org/web/20170218145910www.insidethemagic.net/2016/10/disneys-live-action-lion-king-hires-jeff-nathanson-to-pen-script/,">web.archive.org/web/20170218145910www.insidethemagic.net/2016/10/disneys-live-action-lion-king-hires-jeff-nathanson-to-pen-script/, live, Favreau originally planned to shoot it back-to-back with the sequel to The Jungle Book.WEB,collider.com/lion-king-jungle-book-2-jon-favreau-interview/, Jon Favreau Offers Updates on ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Jungle Book 2’, Collider, Foutch, Haleigh, December 1, 2016, April 16, 2020, January 7, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200107235157/https://collider.com/lion-king-jungle-book-2-jon-favreau-interview/, live, However, it was reported in early 2017 that the latter film was put on hold in order for Favreau to instead focus mainly on The Lion King.WEB,deadline.com/2017/03/beauty-and-the-beast-sean-bailey-disney-emma-watson-1202047710/, Sean Bailey On How Disney’s Live-Action Division Found Its ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Mojo, Deadline Hollywood, Fleming, Mike Jr., Jungle Book director Favreau has temporarily put down a sequel for that film to instead focus on a live-action musical version of The Lion King, one that will take the Jungle Book’s photo-realistic technology further, and will fully exploit the Elton John songs from the original, March 21, 2017, April 16, 2020, September 10, 2017,deadline.com/2017/03/beauty-and-the-beast-sean-bailey-disney-emma-watson-1202047710/," title="archive.today/20170910100558deadline.com/2017/03/beauty-and-the-beast-sean-bailey-disney-emma-watson-1202047710/,">archive.today/20170910100558deadline.com/2017/03/beauty-and-the-beast-sean-bailey-disney-emma-watson-1202047710/, live, In February 2017, Favreau announced that Donald Glover had been cast as Simba and that James Earl Jones would be reprising the role of Mufasa.WEB,www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lion-king-live-action-movie-casts-donald-glover-as-simba-977488, ‘Lion King’ Remake Casts Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, The Hollywood Reporter, Couch, Aaron, February 17, 2017, June 24, 2019, July 22, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190722181436/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lion-king-live-action-movie-casts-donald-glover-as-simba-977488, live, The following month, it was reported that Beyoncé was Favreau’s top choice to voice Nala, but she had not accepted the role yet due to a pregnancy.MAGAZINE,variety.com/2017/film/news/beyonce-lion-king-remake-nala-1202019931/, Kroll, Justin, Beyonce Top Choice to Voice Nala in ‘Lion King’ Remake (EXCLUSIVE), Variety (magazine), Variety, March 30, 2017, April 25, 2017, June 21, 2017,variety.com/2017/film/news/beyonce-lion-king-remake-nala-1202019931/," title="web.archive.org/web/20170621133859variety.com/2017/film/news/beyonce-lion-king-remake-nala-1202019931/,">web.archive.org/web/20170621133859variety.com/2017/film/news/beyonce-lion-king-remake-nala-1202019931/, live, In April 2017, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen joined the film as Timon and Pumbaa, respectively.NEWS,www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/841623-timon-and-pumbaa, Lesnick, Silas, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen Set as The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa, Comingsoon.net, April 25, 2017, April 25, 2017, April 26, 2017,www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/841623-timon-and-pumbaa," title="web.archive.org/web/20170426153625www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/841623-timon-and-pumbaa,">web.archive.org/web/20170426153625www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/841623-timon-and-pumbaa, live, Two months later, John Oliver was cast as Zazu.MAGAZINE,ew.com/movies/2017/07/10/john-oliver-lion-king-zazu-disney/, Gettell, Oliver, Disney’s live-action Lion King adds John Oliver as Zazu, Entertainment Weekly, July 10, 2017, July 11, 2017, July 13, 2017,ew.com/movies/2017/07/10/john-oliver-lion-king-zazu-disney/," title="web.archive.org/web/20170713184009ew.com/movies/2017/07/10/john-oliver-lion-king-zazu-disney/,">web.archive.org/web/20170713184009ew.com/movies/2017/07/10/john-oliver-lion-king-zazu-disney/, live, At the end of July 2017, Beyoncé had reportedly entered final negotiations to play Nala and contribute a new soundtrack.WEB,www.broadwayworld.com/article/Will-Beyonce-Join-THE-LION-KING-Remake-with-A-Starring-Role-AND-a-Soundtrack-20170731, Will Beyonce Join THE LION KING Remake with A Starring Role AND a Soundtrack?, Broadway World, July 31, 2017, August 7, 2017, August 8, 2017,www.broadwayworld.com/article/Will-Beyonce-Join-THE-LION-KING-Remake-with-A-Starring-Role-AND-a-Soundtrack-20170731," title="web.archive.org/web/20170808073141www.broadwayworld.com/article/Will-Beyonce-Join-THE-LION-KING-Remake-with-A-Starring-Role-AND-a-Soundtrack-20170731,">web.archive.org/web/20170808073141www.broadwayworld.com/article/Will-Beyonce-Join-THE-LION-KING-Remake-with-A-Starring-Role-AND-a-Soundtrack-20170731, live, The following month, Chiwetel Ejiofor entered talks to play Scar.NEWS,www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/chiwetel-ejiofor-talks-voice-scar-live-action-lion-king-1026338, Kit, Borys, Chiwetel Ejiofor in Talks to Voice Scar in Disney’s ‘Lion King’, The Hollywood Reporter, August 2, 2017, August 7, 2017, August 6, 2017,www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/chiwetel-ejiofor-talks-voice-scar-live-action-lion-king-1026338," title="web.archive.org/web/20170806050617www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/chiwetel-ejiofor-talks-voice-scar-live-action-lion-king-1026338,">web.archive.org/web/20170806050617www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/chiwetel-ejiofor-talks-voice-scar-live-action-lion-king-1026338, live, Later on, Alfre Woodard and John Kani joined the film as Sarabi and Rafiki, respectively.NEWS,www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/877243-alfre-woodard-to-play-simbas-mother-in-live-action-lion-king, Evry, BMax, Alfre Woodard to Play Simba’s Mother in Live-Action Lion King, Comingsoon.net, August 7, 2017, August 7, 2017, August 8, 2017,www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/877243-alfre-woodard-to-play-simbas-mother-in-live-action-lion-king," title="web.archive.org/web/20170808041232www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/877243-alfre-woodard-to-play-simbas-mother-in-live-action-lion-king,">web.archive.org/web/20170808041232www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/877243-alfre-woodard-to-play-simbas-mother-in-live-action-lion-king, live, WEB,www.thewrap.com/john-kani-rafiki-lion-king/, Gonzalez, Umberto, Verhoeven, Beatrice, ‘Lion King’ Rafiki Casting: John Kani, ‘Civil War’ Star, to Play Wise Baboon (Exclusive), TheWrap, August 7, 2017, August 7, 2017, August 7, 2017,web.archive.org/web/20170807223835/https://www.thewrap.com/john-kani-rafiki-lion-king/, live, On November 1, 2017, Beyoncé and Chiwetel Ejiofor were officially confirmed to voice Nala and Scar, with Eric André, Florence Kasumba, Keegan-Michael Key, JD McCrary, and Shahadi Wright Joseph joining the cast as the voices of Azizi, Shenzi, and Kamari, young Simba, and young Nala, respectively, while Hans Zimmer would return to score the film’s music.WEB,editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/chiwetel-ejiofor-will-voice-scar-in-live-action-lion-king-and-more-movie-news/, Chiwetel Ejiofor Will Voice Scar in The Lion King, 2017-08-07, December 3, 2017,web.archive.org/web/20171203132025/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/chiwetel-ejiofor-will-voice-scar-in-live-action-lion-king-and-more-movie-news/, live, NEWS, Frank, Pallotta, November 2, 2017, November 2, 2017,edition.cnn.com/2017/11/01/entertainment/lion-king-beyonc-cast/index.html, Beyoncé joins cast of Disney’s live-action ‘Lion King’, CNN, November 2, 2017,edition.cnn.com/2017/11/01/entertainment/lion-king-beyonc-cast/index.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20171102011858edition.cnn.com/2017/11/01/entertainment/lion-king-beyonc-cast/index.html,">web.archive.org/web/20171102011858edition.cnn.com/2017/11/01/entertainment/lion-king-beyonc-cast/index.html, live, WEB,www.broadwayworld.com/article/Beyonce-and-Additional-Casting-Revealed-in-New-Preview-Poster-for-THE-LION-KING-20171101, Criscitiello, Alaxa, Beyonce and More Additional Casting Revealed in New Preview Poster for THE LION KING, Broadway World, November 1, 2017, November 2, 2017, December 3, 2017,web.archive.org/web/20171203132023/https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Beyonce-and-Additional-Casting-Revealed-in-New-Preview-Poster-for-THE-LION-KING-20171101, live, WEB,www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lion-king-young-simba-actor-signs-icm-partners-1054468, ‘Lion King’s’ Young Simba Actor Signs With ICM Partners (Exclusive), November 2, 2017, The Hollywood Reporter, November 4, 2017, November 4, 2017,www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lion-king-young-simba-actor-signs-icm-partners-1054468," title="web.archive.org/web/20171104150332www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lion-king-young-simba-actor-signs-icm-partners-1054468,">web.archive.org/web/20171104150332www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lion-king-young-simba-actor-signs-icm-partners-1054468, live, WEB,www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/voices-behind-2019-lion-king-live-action-remake-gallery-1.3606971?pmSlide=1.3606968, Shahadi Wright Joseph as Young Nala, November 2, 2017, New York Daily News, November 4, 2017, November 7, 2017,www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/voices-behind-2019-lion-king-live-action-remake-gallery-1.3606971?pmSlide=1.3606968," title="web.archive.org/web/20171107003436www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/voices-behind-2019-lion-king-live-action-remake-gallery-1.3606971?pmSlide=1.3606968,">web.archive.org/web/20171107003436www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/voices-behind-2019-lion-king-live-action-remake-gallery-1.3606971?pmSlide=1.3606968, live, On November 28, 2017, it was reported that Elton John had signed onto the project to rework his musical compositions from the original film.NEWS,www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/elton-john-set-rake-article-1.3660427, Elton John will make millions with live-action remake of ‘The Lion King’, New York Daily News, November 28, 2017, November 28, 2017, November 28, 2017,www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/elton-john-set-rake-article-1.3660427," title="web.archive.org/web/20171128043933www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/elton-john-set-rake-article-1.3660427,">web.archive.org/web/20171128043933www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/confidential/elton-john-set-rake-article-1.3660427, live, Production for the film began in May 2017.WEB,screenrant.com/lion-king-disney-filming-start-synopsis/, Lammers, Timothy, Disney’s Live-Action The Lion King Starts Production in May, Screen Rant, March 18, 2017, March 18, 2017, March 20, 2017,screenrant.com/lion-king-disney-filming-start-synopsis/," title="web.archive.org/web/20170320143516screenrant.com/lion-king-disney-filming-start-synopsis/,">web.archive.org/web/20170320143516screenrant.com/lion-king-disney-filming-start-synopsis/, live, It was released on July 19, 2019.MAGAZINE,ew.com/movies/2017/04/25/frozen-2-lion-king-disney-release-dates/, Snetiker, Marc, Disney sets release dates for Frozen 2, Lion King, and more, Entertainment Weekly, April 25, 2017, April 25, 2017, April 19, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200419232247/https://ew.com/movies/2017/04/25/frozen-2-lion-king-disney-release-dates/, live, Black Is King“>

Black Is King

In June 2020, Parkwood Entertainment and Disney announced that a film titled Black Is King would be released on July 31, 2020, on Disney+. The live-action film is inspired by The Lion King (2019) and serves as a visual album for the tie-in album (The Lion King: The Gift), which was curated by Beyoncé for the film.WEB, See Beyoncé’s A-List cast in new trailer for her movie Black is King,www.radiotimes.com/news/film/2020-07-19/beyonces-trailer-black-is-king/, 2020-07-19, Radio Times, en, July 19, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200719211910/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/film/2020-07-19/beyonces-trailer-black-is-king/, live, Directed, written and executive produced by Beyoncé, Black Is King is described as reimagining “the lessons of The Lion King for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns”.MAGAZINE, Kreps, Daniel, 2020-07-19, Beyoncé Details ‘Black Is King’ Visual Album, Shares New Trailer,www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beyonce-black-is-king-new-trailer-disney-plus-1030891/, 2020-07-19, Rolling Stone, en-US, July 19, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200719184756/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/beyonce-black-is-king-new-trailer-disney-plus-1030891/, live, The film chronicles the story of a young African king who undergoes a “transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity” to reclaim his throne, utilizing the guidance of his ancestors and childhood love, with the story being told through the voices of present-day Black people.WEB, Mendez, Michele, Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Beyoncé’s ‘Black Is King’ Visual Album,www.elitedaily.com/p/beyonces-black-is-king-visual-album-everything-you-need-to-know-27634229, 2020-07-19, Elite Daily, June 29, 2020, en, July 17, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200717124344/https://www.elitedaily.com/p/beyonces-black-is-king-visual-album-everything-you-need-to-know-27634229, live, The cast includes Lupita Nyong’o, Naomi Campbell, Jay-Z, Kelly Rowland, Pharrell Williams, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Aweng Ade-Chuol, and Adut Akech.Mufasa: The Lion King“>

Mufasa: The Lion King

On September 29, 2020, Deadline Hollywood reported that a follow-up film was in development with Barry Jenkins attached to direct.NEWS, Fleming, Mike Jr.,deadline.com/2020/09/the-lion-king-sequel-barry-jenkins-moonlight-director-disney-1234586787/, ‘The Lion King’ Followup Set With ‘Moonlight’ Director Barry Jenkins To Helm For Walt Disney Studios, Deadline Hollywood, September 29, 2020, September 29, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200929165220/https://deadline.com/2020/09/the-lion-king-sequel-barry-jenkins-moonlight-director-disney-1234586787/, September 29, 2020, live, While The Hollywood Reporter said the film would be a prequel about Mufasa during his formative years, Deadline said it would be a sequel centering on both Mufasa’s origins and the events after the first film, similar to The Godfather Part II. Jeff Nathanson, the screenwriter for the remake, has reportedly finished a draft.NEWS, Rubin, Rebecca, Lang, Brent,variety.com/2020/film/news/lion-king-sequel-director-barry-jenkins-1234786355/, ‘The Lion King’ Follow-Up in the Works With Director Barry Jenkins, Variety, September 29, 2020, September 29, 2020, September 29, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200929195502/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/lion-king-sequel-director-barry-jenkins-1234786355/, live, NEWS, Couch, Aaron, Kits, Borys,www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lion-king-prequel-in-the-works-with-director-barry-jenkins, ‘Lion King’ Prequel in the Works with Director Barry Jenkins, The Hollywood Reporter, September 29, 2020, September 29, 2020, September 29, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200929164424/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lion-king-prequel-in-the-works-with-director-barry-jenkins, live, In August 2021, it was reported that Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. had been cast as Mufasa and Scar respectively.NEWS, Wiseman, Andreas,deadline.com/2021/08/lion-king-prequel-cast-kelvin-harrison-jr-aaron-pierre-barry-jenkins-1234822447/, ‘The Lion King’ Prequel: Kelvin Harrison Jr. & Aaron Pierre To Lead Cast For Disney & Barry Jenkins, Deadline Hollywood, August 26, 2021, August 26, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210826192900/https://deadline.com/2021/08/lion-king-prequel-cast-kelvin-harrison-jr-aaron-pierre-barry-jenkins-1234822447/, August 26, 2021, live, The film will not be a remake of (The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride), the 1998 direct-to-video sequel to the original animated film.WEB, Sandell, Rachel,collider.com/lion-king-2-underrated-disney-sequel/, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride Is an Underrated Disney Sequel, Collider, March 18, 2022, March 18, 2022,web.archive.org/web/20220319170217/https://collider.com/lion-king-2-underrated-disney-sequel/, March 19, 2022, live, In September 2022 at the D23 Expo, it was announced that the film will be titled (Mufasa: The Lion King) and it will follow the titular character’s origin story. Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani will reprise their roles as Pumbaa, Timon, and Rafiki, respectively. The film is scheduled for release on December 20, 2024.NEWS, Murphy, J. Kim, Marvel Delays ‘Deadpool 3,’ ‘Captain America 4’ and ‘Thunderbolts’ in Post-Strike Disney Release Shake-Up,variety.com/2023/film/news/deadpool-3-captain-america-4-lion-king-prequel-delayed-1235786760/, Variety, November 10, 2023,web.archive.org/web/20231110010516/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/deadpool-3-captain-america-4-lion-king-prequel-delayed-1235786760/, November 10, 2023, live,

Video games

Along with the film release, three different video games based on The Lion King were released by Virgin Interactive in December 1994. The main title was developed by Westwood Studios, and published for PC and Amiga computers and the consoles SNES and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. Dark Technologies created the Game Boy version, while Syrox Developments handled the Master System and Game Gear version.WEB,www.mobygames.com/game/lion-king, The Lion King, Moby Games, April 5, 2014, June 28, 2008,www.mobygames.com/game/lion-king," title="web.archive.org/web/20080628170959www.mobygames.com/game/lion-king,">web.archive.org/web/20080628170959www.mobygames.com/game/lion-king, live, The film and sequel Simba’s Pride later inspired another game, Torus Games’ (The Lion King: Simba’s Mighty Adventure) (2000) for the Game Boy Color and PlayStation.WEB, Harris, Craig,www.ign.com/articles/2000/12/01/disneys-the-lion-king-simbas-mighty-adventure, Disney’s The Lion King: Simba’s Mighty Adventure Review, IGN, November 30, 2000, April 16, 2020, August 9, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200809120046/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/12/01/disneys-the-lion-king-simbas-mighty-adventure, live, Timon and Pumbaa also appeared in Timon & Pumbaa’s Jungle Games, a 1995 PC game collection of puzzle games by 7th Level, later ported to the SNES by Tiertex.WEB,www.destructoid.com/games-time-forgot-timon-and-pumbaa-s-jungle-games-85888.phtml, Games time forgot: Timon and Pumbaa’s Jungle Games, Burch, Anthony, Destructoid, March 6, 2008, April 5, 2014, September 21, 2015,www.destructoid.com/games-time-forgot-timon-and-pumbaa-s-jungle-games-85888.phtml," title="web.archive.org/web/20150921025316www.destructoid.com/games-time-forgot-timon-and-pumbaa-s-jungle-games-85888.phtml,">web.archive.org/web/20150921025316www.destructoid.com/games-time-forgot-timon-and-pumbaa-s-jungle-games-85888.phtml, live, The Square Enix series Kingdom Hearts features Simba as a recurring summon,BOOK, Birlew, Dan, 2003, Kingdom Hearts Official Strategy Guide, BradyGames, 978-0-7440-0198-3,archive.org/details/kingdomheartsoff00birl, BOOK, Hollinger, Elizabeth, 2004, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Official Strategy Guide, BradyGames Publishing, 978-0-7440-0473-1, as well as a playable in the Lion King world, known as Pride Lands, in Kingdom Hearts II. There the plotline is loosely related to the later part of the original film, with all of the main characters except Zazu and Sarabi.BOOK, Hollinger, Elizabeth, 2006, Kingdom Hearts II Official Strategy Guide, BradyGames Publishing, 978-0-7440-0526-4, The Lion King also provides one of the worlds featured in the 2011 action-adventure game Disney Universe,WEB,www.gamespot.com/reviews/disney-universe-review/1900-6342869/, Disney Universe Review, GameSpot, Kevin, VanOrd, October 28, 2011, April 13, 2014, February 22, 2014,www.gamespot.com/reviews/disney-universe-review/1900-6342869/," title="web.archive.org/web/20140222143436www.gamespot.com/reviews/disney-universe-review/1900-6342869/,">web.archive.org/web/20140222143436www.gamespot.com/reviews/disney-universe-review/1900-6342869/, live, and Simba was featured in the Nintendo DS title Disney Friends (2008).WEB,www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/07/disney-friends-review, Disney Friends Review, IGN, Jack, DeVries, March 7, 2008, April 5, 2014, May 3, 2014,www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/07/disney-friends-review," title="web.archive.org/web/20140503010322www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/07/disney-friends-review,">web.archive.org/web/20140503010322www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/07/disney-friends-review, live, The video game Disney Magic Kingdoms includes some characters of the film and some attractions based on locations of the film as content to unlock for a limited time.WEB,www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ7X8p4Q688, Update 12: The Lion King {{!, Livestream|publisher=YouTube|date=June 26, 2017}}WEB,www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_R9bx2xv4s&ab_channel=DisneyMagicKingdoms, Update 31: DuckTales {{!, Livestream|publisher=YouTube|date=June 28, 2019}}

Stage adaptations

Walt Disney Theatrical produced a musical stage adaptation of the same name, which premiered in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1997, and later opened on Broadway in October 1997 at the New Amsterdam Theatre. The Lion King musical was directed by Julie TaymorWEB,louisvilleky.gov/events/disneys-lion-king, Disney’s THE LION KING, March 21, 2016, April 2, 2016,web.archive.org/web/20160402065705/https://louisvilleky.gov/events/disneys-lion-king, live, and featured songs from both the movie and Rhythm of the Pride Lands, along with three new compositions by Elton John and Tim Rice. Mark Mancina did the musical arrangements and new orchestral tracks.WEB,articles.latimes.com/1997/nov/03/entertainment/ca-49687, Disney’s Great Leap, November 3, 1997, April 13, 2014, Pacheco, Patrick, Los Angeles Times, April 14, 2014,articles.latimes.com/1997/nov/03/entertainment/ca-49687," title="web.archive.org/web/20140414052432articles.latimes.com/1997/nov/03/entertainment/ca-49687,">web.archive.org/web/20140414052432articles.latimes.com/1997/nov/03/entertainment/ca-49687, live, To celebrate the African culture background the story is based on, there are six indigenous African languages sung and spoken throughout the show: Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Congolese.NEWS, Kennedy, Mark, Inside a special Black History Month rite at ‘The Lion King’, abcNEWS,abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/inside-special-black-history-month-rite-lion-king-83042562, The musical became one of the most successful in Broadway history, winning six Tony Awards including Best Musical, and despite moving to the Minskoff Theatre in 2006, is still running to this day in New York, becoming the third longest-running show and highest grossing Broadway production in history. The show’s financial success led to adaptations all over the world.WEB,www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/75222-Long-Runs-on-Broadway, Long Runs on Broadway, Playbill, Nason-Brown, Jennifer, Playbill Staff, January 19, 2014, March 5, 2014,www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/75222-Long-Runs-on-Broadway," title="web.archive.org/web/20140125114615www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/75222-Long-Runs-on-Broadway,">web.archive.org/web/20140125114615www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/75222-Long-Runs-on-Broadway, January 25, 2014, WEB,www2.broadwayworld.com/grossescumulative.cfm?sortby=totaltotalGross&orderby=desc, Cumulative Broadway Grosses by Show, BroadwayWorld.com, February 9, 2014,www2.broadwayworld.com/grossescumulative.cfm?sortby=totaltotalGross&orderby=desc," title="web.archive.org/web/20140111204548www2.broadwayworld.com/grossescumulative.cfm?sortby=totaltotalGross&orderby=desc,">web.archive.org/web/20140111204548www2.broadwayworld.com/grossescumulative.cfm?sortby=totaltotalGross&orderby=desc, January 11, 2014, dead, The Lion King inspired two attractions retelling the story of the film at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. The first, “The Legend of the Lion King”, featured a recreation of the film through life-size puppets of its characters, and ran from 1994 to 2002 at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.WEB,disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/07/vintage-walt-disney-world-legend-of-the-lion-king/, Vintage Walt Disney World: Legend of the Lion King, July 7, 2011, Rasmussen, Nate, Disney Parks, April 13, 2014, April 15, 2014,disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/07/vintage-walt-disney-world-legend-of-the-lion-king/," title="web.archive.org/web/20140415002145disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/07/vintage-walt-disney-world-legend-of-the-lion-king/,">web.archive.org/web/20140415002145disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/07/vintage-walt-disney-world-legend-of-the-lion-king/, live, Another that is still running is the live-action 30-minute musical revue of the movie, “Festival of the Lion King”, which incorporates the musical numbers into gymnastic routines with live actors, along with animatronic puppets of Simba and Pumbaa and a costumed actor as Timon. The attraction opened in April 1998 at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom,WEB,disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/animal-kingdom/festival-of-the-lion-king/, Festival of the Lion King, Walt Disney World, April 5, 2014, April 7, 2014,web.archive.org/web/20140407091556/https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/animal-kingdom/festival-of-the-lion-king/, live, and in September 2005 in Hong Kong Disneyland’s Adventureland.WEB,park.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdl/en_US/parks/listing?name=AdventurelandAttractionListingPage, Adventureland â€” Attractions & Entertainment, Hong Kong Disneyland, April 5, 2014,park.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdl/en_US/parks/listing?name=AdventurelandAttractionListingPage," title="web.archive.org/web/20111210205830park.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdl/en_US/parks/listing?name=AdventurelandAttractionListingPage,">web.archive.org/web/20111210205830park.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdl/en_US/parks/listing?name=AdventurelandAttractionListingPage, December 10, 2011, A similar version under the name “The Legend of the Lion King” was featured in Disneyland Paris from 2004 to 2009.WEB,corporate.disneylandparis.com/CORP/EN/Neutral/Images/uk-annual-report-2004.pdf, 26–7, EURO DISNEY S.C.A.: Annual Report 2004, Euro Disney, April 13, 2014,corporate.disneylandparis.com/CORP/EN/Neutral/Images/uk-annual-report-2004.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20170701224921corporate.disneylandparis.com/CORP/EN/Neutral/Images/uk-annual-report-2004.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20170701224921corporate.disneylandparis.com/CORP/EN/Neutral/Images/uk-annual-report-2004.pdf, July 1, 2017, dead, WEB,www.dlpguide.com/guidebook/disneyland-park/discoveryland/videopolis-theatre/, Videopolis Theatre, DLPGuide, April 13, 2014, June 28, 2014,www.dlpguide.com/guidebook/disneyland-park/discoveryland/videopolis-theatre/," title="web.archive.org/web/20140628081624www.dlpguide.com/guidebook/disneyland-park/discoveryland/videopolis-theatre/,">web.archive.org/web/20140628081624www.dlpguide.com/guidebook/disneyland-park/discoveryland/videopolis-theatre/, live, {{Clear}}

See also

• Cultural depictions of lions
• (Atlantis: The Lost EmpireNadia: The Secret of Blue Water controversy|Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water controversy), a similar plagiarism controversy

References

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

Notes

{{Notelist}}

Bibliography

• JOURNAL, Chandler, David, Creating The Lion King: Story development, authorship and accreditation in the Disney Renaissance, Journal of Screenwriting, 2018, 9, 3, 329–345, 10.1386/josc.9.3.329_1, 192049630, free,
• BOOK, Finch, Christopher, The Art of The Lion King, Hachette Books, Hyperion, 1994, 978-0-7868-6028-9,archive.org/details/the-art-of-the-lion-king_202302, registration,
• BOOK, Geirland, John, Keidar, Eva Sonesh, Digital Babylon: How the Geeks, the Suits, and the Ponytails Fought to Bring Hollywood to the Internet,books.google.com/books?id=ykpK7s3PmoMC, 1999, Arcade Publishing, 978-1-559-70483-0,
• BOOK, Koenig, David, Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks, The Lion King,archive.org/details/mouseunderglasss0000koen, Irvine, California, Bonaventure Press, 227–232, 978-0-96406-051-7, 1997, registration,
• BOOK, Kroyer, Bill, Sito, Tom, Diamond, Ron, On Animation: The Director’s Perspective—Volume 1, Roger Allers Interview, 2019, CRC Press, 255–292, 978-1-138-06653-3,
• BOOK, Neuwirth, Allan, Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows and Movies, Skyhorse Publishing, 2003, 978-1-58115-269-2,archive.org/details/makintoonsinside0000neuw, registration,
• BOOK, Stewart, James B., DisneyWar, 2005,www.archive.org/details/disneywar00jame_0/, Simon & Schuster, New York, 0-684-80993-1, James B. Stewart, registration,

External links

{{commons category}}

• {{Official websitemovies.disney.com/the-lion-king}}
• {{AllMovie title|131171|The Lion King}}
• {{AFI film|60348|The Lion King}}
• {{IMDb title|title=The Lion King|id=0110357}}
• {{TCMDb title|81469|The Lion King}}
• {{DisneyAtoZ|title=The Lion King}}

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