The Lion King (franchise)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Lion King
The Lion King logo.svg
Created by
  • Roger Allers
  • Rob Minkoff
Original workThe Lion King
OwnerThe Walt Disney Company
Years1994–present
Print publications
Book(s)The Lion King: Six New Adventures
Novel(s)adaptation
Films and television
Film(s)
  • The Lion King (1994)
  • The Lion King (2019)
Short film(s)
Animated series
Television film(s)The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (2015)
Direct-to-video
Theatrical presentations
Play(s)The Legend of the Lion King (1994)
Musical(s)
  • The Lion King (1997)
  • Festival of the Lion King (1998)
Games
Video game(s)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)
Original music
  • Rhythm of the Pride Lands (1995)
  • The Lion King: The Gift (2019)
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)Disney Tsum Tsum*
Theme park attraction(s)
* Work where this franchise's characters or settings appeared as part of a crossover, or has characters based on those from this franchise.

** The Lion King 1½ was also released theatrically in some countries and selected American cities.

The Lion King is a Disney media franchise comprising a film series and additional media. The success of the original 1994 American animated feature, The Lion King, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, led to a direct-to-video sequel, a spin-off movie, a 2019 film remake, a television film sequel, two spin-off television series, three educational shorts, several video games, merchandise, and the third-longest-running musical in Broadway history, which garnered six Tony Awards including Best Musical.[1] The franchise, led by the musical's box office at $8.1 billion (as of December 2017), is the highest-grossing entertainment property.[2] The franchise as a whole has EGOT-ed, meaning it has won the four biggest awards of American show business.

The franchise mainly revolves about a pride of lions who oversee a large swath of African savanna as their "kingdom" known as the Pride Lands, with their leader Simba watching over it as "king". The first three animated films are widely known for being influenced by the works of William Shakespeare,[3][4] as well as other works based on his material.

Films[]

Film U.S release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Story by Producers
Original series
The Lion King June 15, 1994 Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton Brenda Chapman, 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 and Francis Glebas Don Hahn
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride October 27, 1998 Darrell Rooney and Rob LaDuca Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus Jeannine Roussel
The Lion King 1½ February 10, 2004 Bradley Raymond Tom Rogers George A. Mendoza
Remake film
The Lion King (2019 film) July 19, 2019 Jon Favreau Jeff Nathanson Jon Favreau, Jeffrey Silver and Karen Gilchrist
Musical film
Black Is King July 31, 2020 Beyoncé Beyoncé, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Clover Hope and Andrew Morrow Jeremy Sullivan, Jimi Adesanya, Blitz Bazawule, Ben Cooper, Astrid Edwards, Durwin Julies, Yoli Mes, Dafe Oboro, Akin Omotoso, Will Whitney, Lauren Baker, Jason Baum, Alex Chamberlain, Robert Day, Christophe Faubert, Brien Justiniano, Rethabile Molatela Mothobi, Sylvia Zakhary, Nathan Scherrer and Erinn Williams
Prequel film
Untitled Lion King prequel TBA Barry Jenkins Jeff Nathanson TBA

Traditionally animated films[]

The Lion King[]

Main article: The Lion King

The Lion King is the original film of the franchise. It was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, premiered in selected cities on June 15, 1994, and widely released to theaters on June 24, 1994 by Walt Disney Pictures.[5] The Lion King is the 32nd Disney animated feature film and belongs to an era known as the Disney Renaissance.[6] The plot of the film is influenced by William Shakespeare's play Hamlet,[3] and is believed to have been inspired by Osamu Tezuka's 1960s Japanese anime series Kimba the White Lion.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride[]

Main article: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on VHS in the United States on October 27, 1998. It was directed by Darrell Rooney and co-directed by Rob LaDuca. It was first released on DVD as a limited issue on November 23, 1999, and placed into moratorium on January 19, 2000. It was not released again on DVD until August 31, 2004, when it was a two-disc special edition. It went into moratorium in January 2005. The plot of this animated film is heavily influenced by another Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet.[4]

The Lion King 1½[]

Main article: The Lion King 1½

The Lion King 1½, also known as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata in some countries, is the second and final direct-to-video installment of the film series. It was directed by Bradley Raymond and released by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on February 10, 2004. The DVD went to the moratorium in January 2005. The film is a chronologically concurrent sequel to the first film, focusing on Timon and Pumbaa. It was somewhat influenced by Tom Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, in which the title characters are seen in every major event of Hamlet.[14][15][16]

Around the World with Timon and Pumbaa[]

Main article: Around the World with Timon and Pumbaa

The series The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa had a direct-to-video film named Around the World with Timon and Pumbaa, with Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella reprising their roles as Timon and Pumbaa respectively. The story tells of Pumbaa getting struck by lightning, losing all his memory, and Timon helps refrain every moment they spent. After Pumbaa gets his memory back, lightning strikes Timon losing his memory this time, making Pumbaa break the fourth wall by telling the viewers to rewind the tape to start at the beginning, being it was the only way to help Timon remember. Several episodes from the series are featured in this film. Aside from this film, two other DVDs, Dining Out... and On Holiday... are an hour compilation of other episodes of the series. No DVDs have been released in the U.S. but were released on VHS.

The Lion Guard[]

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar[]

Main article: The Lion Guard

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar is a television movie that premiered on November 22, 2015, serving as a pilot for The Lion Guard television series, which debuted in early 2016 on Disney Junior.[17][18] Return of the Roar was directed by Howy Parkins and written by Ford Riley. The film focuses on Simba and Nala's cub Kion, who as second-born to the throne, becomes leader of the Lion Guard, a group that protects the Pride Lands and defends the Circle of Life. As leader of the Lion Guard, Kion is gifted with a power called the Roar of the Elders which when used, causes the great lion spirits of the Pride Lands' past to roar with him. Going against tradition, Kion chooses non-lions to be members of his guard; his friends Bunga the honey badger, Ono the egret, Beshte the hippo, and Fuli the cheetah.

The Lion Guard: The Rise of Scar[]

A television movie, or extended episode, which premiered July 29, 2017 on Disney Channel during season 2 of The Lion Guard.[19] As the dry season begins, the Lion Guard continues to protect the Pride Lands, and Rafiki takes on an apprentice named Makini. Meanwhile, Janja the hyena and his clan, along with their new ally Ushari the cobra, orchestrate events that allow them to summon the spirit of Scar in order to defeat the Lion Guard and take over the Pride Lands.

The Lion Guard: Battle for the Pride Lands[]

A television movie which premiered August 3, 2019 on Disney Channel during season 3 of The Lion Guard. In the film, Scar enacts the final stage of his plan against the Pride Lands, and the Lion Guard begin a final battle with their legendary foe which dovetails into the events which separate the Lion Guard from the rest of the Pride Lands during the events of Simba's Pride.

Computer-animated remakes[]

The Lion King (2019 film)[]

Main article: The Lion King (2019 film)

In 2016, it was announced that Disney was developing a Lion King remake with Jon Favreau directing.[20] Reports stated that animation styles would be similar to Favreau's 2016 film The Jungle Book and would shoot it back-to-back with The Jungle Book sequel.[21][22] The film's voice cast features Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa, respectively, with Beyoncé as Nala. The film is produced by Favreau's Fairview Entertainment.[23][24] In April 2017, Disney announced that the remake would be released on July 19, 2019.[25] John Oliver was cast as playing Zazu.[26][27]

Future[]

In September 2020, it was announced that a follow-up film was in development with Barry Jenkins attached to direct and Jeff Nathanson set to return as screenwriter.[28][29] While it has been referred to as a prequel, the film has been described as being set after the events of the 2019 film while also exploring Mufasa's formative years.[28][29] In August 2021, it was announced that Aaron Pierre will voicing young Mufasa and Kelvin Harrison Jr. will voicing young Taka (Scar's real name).

Television series[]

The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa[]

Main article: Timon & Pumbaa (TV series)

The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa is a spin-off cartoon series that centers on Timon and Pumbaa. The show ran for three seasons, airing on the syndicated block The Disney Afternoon and CBS in the United States, and BBS in Canada from September 8, 1995 to November 1, 1998. It had Bobs Gannaway and Tony Craig serving as the executive producers for the first two seasons. As of Season 3, the show was produced by Chris Bartleman and Blair Peters, with Tedd and Patsy Cameron-Anasti serving as the executive producers. Since February 8, 2009 (after its final airing on the now-defunct Toon Disney before replaced by Disney XD), this show was no longer on the air, but returned along with some other favorites on March 23, 2012 for a limited time, as part of the new Disney Junior TV channel.

The Lion Guard[]

Main article: The Lion Guard

On June 9, 2014, it was announced that a second TV show called The Lion Guard would premiere on Disney Junior and Disney Channel. First as a television movie called The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar which debuted November 22, 2015, followed by a series which began airing January 15, 2016.[30][18] The series was developed by Ford Riley, who also serves as writer and executive producer. It centers around Simba and Nala's second-born cub Kion, who becomes leader of the Lion Guard, a team that protects the Pride Lands and defends the Circle of Life. As leader of the Lion Guard, Kion is gifted with a power called the Roar of the Elders which when used, causes the great lion spirits of the Pride Lands' past to roar with him. The Lion Guard is a sequel to The Lion King and takes place during the time-gap within the 1998 film, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride,[31] with the last 2 episodes of Season 3 taking place after the events of that film. Various characters from the first two films also make appearances in the show, including Kiara, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Zazu, and Mufasa.[32][33] New characters Bunga the honey badger, Ono the egret, Beshte the hippo, and Fuli the cheetah are Kion's friends and members of his Lion Guard.[34][35]

Shorts[]

Find Out Why[]

Find Out Why is a short educational series that features Timon and Pumbaa answering science questions like why there is lightning, why we sneeze, why pandas don't live in deserts, why there is wind, and why an airplane flies. These shorts are for educational purposes at schools, non-residential and residential uses for people, including students and kids everywhere in the world.

Timon and Pumbaa's Wild About Safety[]

Main article: Wild About Safety

Together with Timon (voiced by Bruce Lanoil) and Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella), students will learn a variety of safety lessons for around the house, for the environment, and for in the water that will help themselves and others avoid injuries, live problem-free, and be Safety Smart. At the end of each episode, Timon and Pumbaa sing a musical number reviewing all that they learned on the episode in question.

A series of shorts based on the "Wild About Safety" series, called "Safety Smart: On the Go!", was also released. Based on the "Wild About Safety" episode of the same name, "Safety Smart: On the Go" is a series of shorts that detail topics on how to be safe when traveling, such as when riding vehicles, using bikes & scooters, walking to travel as pedestrians, or even when visiting amusement parks. The "Safety Smart: On the Go!" short series is most well-known for being displayed in resorts in Walt Disney World (Florida) & Disneyland (California), in addition to a "Wild About Safety" video about how to be safe in resort hotels & the original "Wild About Safety" episode that the "Safety Smart: On the Go!" short series is based on.

It's UnBungalievable[]

A short-form series in which Bunga and Ono from The Lion Guard pick two animals to compete in contests such as "Who's Quicker?" "Who Has Better Hair?" and "Who's Hungrier?" The series features live-action animal footage provided by Disneynature.[36]

Theatrical[]

The Legend of the Lion King was an underground stage performance retelling the story of the film using fully articulated puppets in Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland. This attraction ran from June 1994 to February 2002.

A Broadway-caliber short-form stage musical named Festival of the Lion King is performed live in Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, Florida and in Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland. It uses the concept of tribal celebration in combination with ideas from Disney's Electrical Parade. The show is in the form of a revue, and not a condensed version of either the film or Broadway show. However, it features the award-winning music from the first film, written by Elton John and Tim Rice. The show uses songs, dance, puppetry and visual effects to create an African savannah setting filled with lions, elephants, giraffes, birds, zebras and gazelles.

Broadway musical[]

Main article: The Lion King (musical)

A musical, based on the original animated film, debuted July 8, 1997, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Orpheum Theatre. Directed by Julie Taymor, produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, and written by the co-director of the original film, Roger Allers, with writer Irene Mecchi. The musical features actors in elaborate animal costumes, and complex puppetry, created by Taymor and Michael Curry. The musical is divided in two acts and has music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M.[37] The musical incorporates several changes and additions to the storyline as compared to the film, as well as adding more songs.

The musical became a success even before premiering on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater on October 15, 1997 in previews with the official opening on November 13, 1997. On June 13, 2006, the Broadway production moved to the Minskoff Theatre to make way for the musical version of Mary Poppins, where it is still running.[38] It is now Broadway's third-longest-running show in history. The show debuted in the West End's Lyceum Theatre on October 19, 1999 and is still running. The cast of the West End production were invited to perform at the Royal Variety Performance 2008 at the London Palladium on December 11, in the presence of senior members of the British Royal Family.[39] Other productions within the U.S. include a Los Angeles production at the Pantages Theatre, in Charlotte at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, and a Las Vegas production at Mandalay Bay.[40] International productions include a British at the Lyceum Theatre in London, a Canadian at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, a Mexican in Mexico City,[41] and a South African in Johannesburg,[42] among others. The first ever UK tour opened at Bristol Hippodrome on August 31, 2012.

Video games[]

Two video games based on the first film have been released. The first, titled The Lion King, was published in 1994 by Virgin and was released for the NES (only in Europe), SNES, Game Boy, Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, PC, and Amiga.[43] The second game, called The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure, was published in 2000 by Activision and was released for the PlayStation and Game Boy Color.[44] It was based on the first film and its storyline continued into the sequel.

In 1996, Disney Interactive and 7th Level released Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games for the PC. It was later seen on the SNES. The Games include: one in which Pumbaa uses his gas to destroy fruits and bugs (and even a kitchen sink) that fall out of trees, a variation of pinball, a game where players use a peashooter to hit enemy creatures in the jungle, a game where Timon has to jump onto hippos in order to cross a river to deliver bugs to Pumbaa, and a variation of Puyo Puyo called Bug Drop.[45]

An educational game called Disney's Adventures in Typing With Timon and Pumbaa was released by Disney Interactive in 1998 for PCs with Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. The game teaches children how to type through use of five games. It features the characters Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa.[46][47]

A game called The Lion King 1½ was published in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance, based on the direct-to-video film and featuring Timon and Pumbaa as the playable characters.[48] Some of the film's characters are playable in Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure, a spin-off of the Tony Hawk games. In the Disney Interactive Studios and Square Enix video game Kingdom Hearts, Simba appears as an ally that Sora can summon during battles.[49] He also appears again as a summon character in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. In Kingdom Hearts II, the Pride Lands are a playable world and a number of characters from the film appear.[50] Simba is also a playable character in the video game Disney Friends.

Other media[]

A 70 mm film entitled Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable is shown in the Harvest Theater in The Land Pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida. It opened on January 21, 1995 replacing Symbiosis. It stars the characters from The Lion King, where the story follows Timon and Pumbaa chopping down trees and clogging up rivers to build the Hakuna Matata Lakeside Village. Simba comes to them and explains how their actions are harmful to nature. This lesson is explained with live-action footage, some left over from Symbiosis. The film ran for 23 years before ultimately closing on February 3, 2018.

Roger Allers, who was the animated feature's co-director, and Irene Mecchi, who was the film's screenplay co-writer, authored the animated film's book adaptation.[1]

The Lion King: Six New Adventures, a collection of six spin-off books was published in 1994[51] by Grolier Enterprises Inc. The books were approved by Disney and take place after The Lion King. The story of the books center around Kopa, the son of Simba who is mischievous and adventurous but good-hearted just like his father was when he was young. In each book, while doing mischief Kopa learns a life-lesson and meets up with Rafiki who gives him wisdom by narrating the past tales of the Pridelands.

The Lion King Celebration was a parade based on the film that ran at Disneyland from June 1, 1994 to June 1, 1997. It was designed as though the story of Simba was a tale passed down in Africa for generations.[52] The parade featured six floats designed around different aspects of Africa, dancers dressed in animal costumes and a Pride Rock float featuring Simba and Nala.

Many characters from The Lion King appear in the Disney Channel series House of Mouse.[53] Some of them also appear in the series' spin-off films Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse and Mickey's House of Villains. The characters also appear at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as meet and greet characters.

A digital storybook app called The Lion King: Timon's Tale retelling the story of The Lion King from Timon's point-of-view was released on February 24. 2012 for iOS devices.[54]

Plot and themes[]

The story is set in a kingdom of anthropomorphic animals in Africa known as the Pride Lands, where a lion rules over the other animals as king.[3] The Lion King begins when Rafiki, a mandrill, anoints Simba, the newborn son of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi, presenting him to a gathering of animals at the Pride Rock. Simba is next seen as a young cub, with Mufasa teaching him about the "Circle of Life". Simba's uncle and Mufasa's brother Scar plots to take the throne for himself and tells Simba about an elephant graveyard, a place where Mufasa has warned Simba not to go. When Simba and his best friend Nala sneak off to the elephant graveyard, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, three hyenas aligned with Scar, attack and try to kill the two cubs, but they are stopped by Mufasa. Scar's next plan is to lure Simba into a gorge while the hyenas create a wildebeest stampede. Alerted by Scar, Mufasa races to rescue Simba from the stampede. He saves his son but is left clinging to the edge of a cliff, which results in Scar flinging him into the stampede below and killing him. Scar then tricks Simba into thinking that he is responsible for his father's death and tells him to run away, only to later order the hyenas to kill Simba, but they fail. Scar informs the pride that both Mufasa and Simba were killed and that he is assuming the throne as the next in line. Simba is later found unconscious by Timon and Pumbaa, who adopt and raise him. It is not until Simba is a young adult lion that he meets Nala again, and the two lions fall in love. Along with Rafiki and Mufasa's ghost, Nala convinces Simba to return to the Pride Lands and claim the throne. Simba, along with Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa go to the Pride Rock, where Simba confronts, fights, and defeats Scar, who is later betrayed and killed by his own army of hyenas as a result of Scar's blaming of the hyenas for Mufasa's death. The film concludes with the Pride Lands turning green with life again and Rafiki presenting Simba and Nala's newborn cub.

The Lion King II: Simba's Pride begins with the presentation of Simba and Nala's daughter named Kiara. Simba is very protective of his daughter and assigns Timon and Pumbaa to be her guardians. One day, the young cub sneaks into the Outlands, the place in which a group of lions loyal to Scar called the Outsiders reside after Simba exiles them from the Pride Lands. In the Outlands, Kiara meets a young male cub named Kovu, Scar's hand-chosen successor, and the two of them befriend each other until Simba and Kovu's mother, Zira arrive and a fight between Pride Landers and Outsiders almost takes place. Later in the film, Zira decides that she can use Kovu's new friendship with Kiara to get her revenge against Simba. Kiara is next seen as an adolescent lioness and is set to go for her first solo-hunt, but discovers that her father still sends Timon and Pumbaa to watch her. Furious, Kiara goes further from home until Zira's other children, Nuka and Vitani, set fire to the plains where Kiara is hunting, causing her to faint and giving Kovu the chance to rescue her. Simba finds that Kovu has helped Kiara and reluctantly allows him into the Pride Lands. While Simba struggles with the idea of accepting Kovu, Kiara and Kovu eventually fall in love. One morning, Simba invites Kovu for a walk but they are ambushed by Zira and her pride. They attack Simba but, while chasing him, Nuka got killed by the logs, resulting in Zira blaming and scratching Kovu for his death giving him a scar over his left eye. A wounded Simba exiles Kovu as he thinks Kovu was behind the ambush, but Kiara, knowing that Kovu would never do such a thing, runs away from Pride Rock against her father's orders and reunites with Kovu and convinces him to return with her to reunite their prides. Meanwhile, Zira leads her pride in a war against Simba and the Pridelanders and a fierce battle breaks out. Kovu and Kiara leap between them and Kiara reminds her father that, by his own words, "we are one". Zira refuses to end the battle, but Vitani and the other Outsiders understand Kiara's words and abandon their leader and join the Pridelanders. Now alone, Zira leaps for Simba, but Kiara pushes her away and they fall over a cliff. Kiara lands on a rock, but Zira slips and falls into the lake to death. Simba allows the Outsiders, including Kovu, to return to the Pride Lands, and Kovu is allowed to stand with Kiara at the top of Pride Rock.

The Lion King 1½ is a retelling of the events of the first film from Timon and Pumbaa's perspective.

The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa follows the further adventures of the titular meerkat and warthog duo. The pair is normally seen having misadventures in the jungle, but sometimes find themselves across the globe in various settings. This series also has episodes centering on Rafiki, Zazu, and Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. In the episode "Once Upon a Timon", a pre-existing storyline of how Timon met Pumbaa was revealed. This may indicate that Timon & Pumbaa (or just said episode) and The Lion King 1½ exist in different continuities.

In The Lion Guard, the majority of the series takes place after Kiara meets Kovu, but before her first hunt. The series follows the adventures of Simba and Nala's son Kion as he assembles the titular group of animals to protect the Pride Lands. In Season 2, Scar, the antagonist of the original film makes his return in the animated series, and plots revenge against Simba and plans to overthrow him as King by gathering up all the Outlanders to form an army. In the special "Battle for the Pride Lands" which serves as a prequel and pilot for Season 3, Kion continues to battle the spirit of Scar. In a series of events (ones involving Janja's betrayal of Scar), Kion managed to defeat and destroy Scar forever, but not before receiving a facial wound identical to his great uncle's, courtesy of the cobra Ushari (who is later killed in the fight). Season 3 featured Kion journeying throughout the Pride Lands to the Tree of Life to heal his scar before the venom corrupts him into the lion Scar once was. The last 2 episodes of Season 3 take place after the war between Simba's pride & Zira's outsiders.

Cast and characters[]

Main article: List of The Lion King characters

A total of thirteen supervising animators from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney's Hollywood Studios were responsible for establishing the personalities and setting the tone for the first film's main characters. The animation team studied real-life animals for reference, as was done for the earlier film Bambi.[55] The animation of the characters was created with supervision by wildlife experts such as Jim Fowler, who visited the studio on several occasions with an assortment of lions and other jungle inhabitants to discuss behavior and help the animators give their drawings an authentic feel. He taught them how lions greet one another by gently butting heads, and show affection by placing one's head under the other's chin, mannerisms that can be appreciated in Simba and Nala's encounter during the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight". Fowler also talked about how they protect themselves by lying on their backs and using their claws to ward off attackers, and how they fight rivals by rising on their hind legs.[56] Screenwriter Irene Mecchi joined the directing team to help in the character development process as well as to define each character's personality. Story head Brenda Chapman, gave insight to the challenge of the characters and the story by stating "It was our job to make the main character likeable and sympathetic. It was also challenging to make the environment and characters interesting. In real life, lions basically sleep, eat and have no props."[56]

Two spin-off television series have been produced, one focusing on the characters of Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog called Timon & Pumbaa, and the other focusing on new character Kion called The Lion Guard. Three sets of educational shorts have also been produced.

Characters Main films Television series Television film Remake film
The Lion King The Lion King II: Simba's Pride The Lion King 1½ Timon & Pumbaa The Lion Guard The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar The Lion King
Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 1 Season 2 Season 3
Simba Matthew Broderick Cam Clarke Rob Lowe Donald Glover
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
(young) 		Cam Clarke
(singing voice) 		Matt Weinberg
(young)
Jason Weaver
(young singing voice)
Joseph Williams
(adult singing voice) 		JD McCrary
(young)
Evan Saucedo
("Morning Report")
Timon Nathan Lane Nathan Lane Kevin Schon Kevin Schon Billy Eichner
Kevin Schon Quinton Flynn
Quinton Flynn
Pumbaa Ernie Sabella Seth Rogen
Nala Moira Kelly Moira Kelly Gabrielle Union Beyoncé
Niketa Calame
(young)
Laura Williams
(young singing voice) 		Shahadi Wright Joseph
(young)
Sally Dworsky
(adult singing voice)
Rafiki Robert Guillaume Khary Payton John Kani
Zazu Rowan Atkinson Edward Hibbert Jeff Bennett John Oliver
Jeff Bennett
("Morning Report")
Mufasa James Earl Jones Silent role Gary Anthony Williams James Earl Jones
Scar Jeremy Irons Jim Cummings Silent cameo David Oyelowo Silent cameo Chiwetel Ejiofor
Jim Cummings
Shenzi Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg Tress MacNeille Silent role Florence Kasumba
Banzai[a] Cheech Marin Cheech Marin Rob Paulsen Keegan-Michael Key
Ed[b] Jim Cummings Jim Cummings Eric André
Sarabi Madge Sinclair Silent role Silent cameo Alfre Woodard
Sarafina Zoe Leader Penny Johnson Jerald
Gopher Jim Cummings Jim Cummings
Kiara Character is mute Neve Campbell Eden Riegel Character is mute
Mary Gibbs
(baby)
Michelle Horn
(young)
Charity Sanoy
(young singing voice)
Liz Callaway
(adult singing voice)
Ashley Edner
(growls)
Kovu Jason Marsden Jason Marsden Silent cameo Jason Marsden
Ryan O'Donohue
(young)
Gene Miller
(singing voice)
Zira Suzanne Pleshette Nika Futterman Silent cameo
Nuka Andy Dick Andy Dick Silent cameo
Vitani Jennifer Lien Lacey Chabert Lacey Chabert
Lacey Chabert
(young)
Crysta Macalush
(singing voice)
Ma Julie Kavner
Uncle Max Jerry Stiller
Flinchy Jason Rudofsky
Quint Corey Burton
Speedy the Snail Corey Burton Silent cameo Corey Burton
Fred S. Scott Bullock
Irwin Charlie Adler
Natives Jeff Bennett
Cheetata Rob Paulsen Rob Paulsen
Cheetato Jim Cummings Jim Cummings
Boss Beaver Brad Garrett
Toucan Dan Jeff Bennett
Smolder the Bear Jim Cummings
Little Jimmy Joe Alaskey
Kion Max Charles Max Charles Max Charles
Aaron Daniel Jacob
(singing voice)
Bunga Joshua Rush
Fuli Diamond White
Beshte Dusan Brown
Ono Atticus Shaffer
Janja Andrew Kishino
Cheezi Vargus Mason
Chungu Kevin Schon
Anga Bryana Salaz
Rani Peyton Elizabeth Lee
Lana McKissack
(singing voice)
Guinea Fowl Amy Sedaris
Bush Baby Chance the Rapper
Elephant Shrew Josh McCrary
Impala Phil LaMarr

Development[]

History[]

Early production of The Lion King began in late 1988, with the film originally being titled King of the Kalahari and later King of the Jungle.[57] The treatment, inspired by Hamlet, was written by Thomas M. Disch (author of The Brave Little Toaster) as work-for-hire; Disch received no credit or royalties. Production took place at the Walt Disney Animation Studios in Glendale, California. Also, nearly 20 minutes of the film were animated at the Disney-MGM Studios.[56] Ultimately, more than 600 artists, animators and technicians contributed to The Lion King over its lengthy production schedule. More than one million drawings were created for the film, including 1,197 hand-painted backgrounds and 119,058 individually colored frames of film.[56]

In October 1991, after finishing work on Beauty and the Beast as Head of Story, Roger Allers joined The Lion King, as the initial director. Allers worked for 6 months on story development and was then joined by co-director, Rob Minkoff. A 2-day story session was held to revamp the story with the two directors, Allers and Minkoff, joined by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, directors of Beauty and the Beast, and Producer Don Hahn who presided over the discussion. The creative think-tank produced a character makeover for Simba and a radically revised second half of the film.[56] Irene Mecchi joined the team that summer to help further develop the characters and define their personalities. Several months later, she was joined by Jonathan Roberts in the rewriting process. Working together in the animation department and in conjunction with the directors and story team, they tackled the unresolved emotional issues in the script and also added many comic situations.[56] Some of the lead production crew made a trip to Africa to better understand the environment for the film. The trip gave production designer Chris Sanders a new appreciation for the natural environments and inspired him to find ways to incorporate these elements into the design of the film.[56] The filmmakers also made use of computers to better present their vision in new ways. The most notable use of computer animation is in 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. Similar multiplication occurs in the "Be Prepared" musical number with identical marching hyenas.[58] Five specially trained animators and technicians spent more than two years creating the 2½ minute stampede sequence.[56]

At one time, the Disney Feature Animation staff felt The Lion King was less important than Pocahontas.[3] Both projects were in production at the same time, and most of the staff preferred to work on Pocahontas, believing it would be the more prestigious and successful of the two.[3] As it turned out, while both films were commercial successes, The Lion King received more positive feedback and larger grosses than Pocahontas.[59][60][61]

The sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride was directed by Darrell Rooney and produced by Jeannine Roussel, with Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus writing the screenplay. Disney believed that Simba's Pride would be so popular that it shipped 15 million copies to stores for the October 27 release date.[62]

Music[]

The original motion picture soundtrack for the first film was released by Walt Disney Records on June 13, 1994, two days before the film's release. It contains songs by songwriter Elton John and Tim Rice, who wrote five original songs, with Elton John performing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" during the end credits. Additionally, "The Morning Report", a song which was not present in the original theatrical film, was later added to the IMAX theater and to the DVD Platinum Edition release. The film's score was composed by Hans Zimmer and supplemented with traditional African music and choir elements arranged by Lebo M.[63] Elton John thought his career had hit a new low when he was writing the music to the song "Hakuna Matata".[64] However, the strongly enthusiastic audience reception to an early film trailer which consisted solely of the opening sequence with the song "Circle of Life", suggested that the film would be very successful.[citation needed] Out of the five original songs, "Hakuna Matata" was listed at number 99 in the AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs list in 2004,[65] and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" won the Oscar for Best Original Song during the 67th Academy Awards. The soundtrack itself was the fourth best-selling album of 1994 on the Billboard 200 and the top-selling soundtrack.[66]

Disney released Rhythm of the Pride Lands on February 28, 1995 as a sequel to the soundtrack of the first film. Rhythm of the Pride Lands was initially printed in a very limited quantity. However, it was re-released in 2003, included in some international versions of The Lion King's special edition soundtrack with an additional track, "Circle of Life".

An audio CD entitled Return to Pride Rock: Songs Inspired by Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride was released on September 8, 1998. Although not promoted as a soundtrack to The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, it contained all the songs from the film and some additional songs inspired by it by Lebo M. Tina Turner recorded a version of "He Lives in You" for the film. On August 31, 2004, Disney released an "enhanced soundtrack" to coincide with the release of the film's 2-Disc Special Edition DVD. However, the CD only contains the songs featured in the film, without any of the inspired songs by the first film. Siskel & Ebert noted that it was best the film was direct-to-video, since the music was lacking and not remotely equal to the original's soundtrack.[67]

The soundtrack for the third film, The Lion King 1½: Songs From Timon and Pumbaa's Hilarious Adventure, was released to CD by Disney on February 10, 2004. It includes two songs from the original film, "That's All I Need" and "Hakuna Matata", re-performed by Nathan Lane who took over the role of voicing the character Timon. The rest of the soundtrack includes various R&B tracks, including remakes of the Kool and the Gang classic "Jungle Boogie" by artist French, and two instrumental pieces from film composer Don Harper. The soundtrack also includes Ennio Morricone's theme from "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly".[68]

Reception[]

During its release in 1994, The Lion King was widely acclaimed, grossing more than $783 million worldwide, becoming the most successful film released that year, and, as of May 2020, is the forty-ninth highest-grossing film of all time. The film was the highest grossing animated film of all time until the release of Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo. The Lion King is still the highest grossing traditionally animated film of all time in the United States.[69][70] The film received many award nominations, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Score,[71] the Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy,[72] and the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature.[73] The song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" alone won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe for Best Original Song, the BMI Film Music Award, and the Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance Male.

On home video, The Lion King became the best-selling film on VHS, selling 32 million tapes,[74] and grossing $520 million in video sales.[75] The Lion King II: Simba's Pride sold 3.5 million copies in three days. Thirteen million copies were sold while it was still in print in the late 1990s.[76] By 2000, it had sold 15 million VHS copies,[77] and grossed about $300 million in sales and rentals.[78] The Lion King 1½ sold 6 million DVD and VHS units in North America.[79] The Lion King musical has grossed nearly $8.1 billion as of 2017, and is the highest-grossing musical of all time.[2]

Both sequels won the Annie Award for Best Animated Home Entertainment Production. The Lion King 1½ also won five DVD Exclusive Awards. The musical won six Tony Awards including Best Musical.[80][81]

Box office performance[]

Film or
Musical 		Release date Box office (in millions)
United States Outside US Worldwide
The Lion King (1994) June 15, 1994[5] $422.8[82] $545.7[82] $968.5[82]
The Lion King (musical) November 13, 1997 $1,652.8[83] $8,100 (2017)[2]
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride October 27, 1998 Direct-to-video
The Lion King 1½ February 10, 2004
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar November 22, 2015 Television film
The Lion King (2019) July 19, 2019[84] $543.6[85] $1,113.2[85] $1,656.8[85]

Critical response[]

Films Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore Yahoo! Movies
The Lion King (1994) 93% (128 reviews)[60] 88% (30 reviews)[86] A+[87] A+ (6 reviews)[88]
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride 62% (13 reviews)[89] N/A N/A N/A
The Lion King 1½ 76% (17 reviews)[90] N/A N/A N/A
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar N/A N/A N/A N/A
The Lion King (2019) 53% (380 reviews)[91] 55% (53 reviews)[92] A[87] N/A

Notes[]

  1. ^ In the original animated version of The Lion King, the aggressive and serious member of Shenzi's clan is known as Banzai. In the 2019 remake, he is renamed to Kamari. Despite this, they are the same character.
  2. ^ In the original animated version of The Lion King, the slow-minded member of Shenzi's clan is known as Ed. In the 2019 remake, he is renamed to Azizi. Despite this, they are the same character.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Henry, Sally. "THE LION KING Becomes 3rd-Longest Running Broadway Show of All Time; Passes CATS". Archived from the original on November 2, 2015.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Seymour, Lee (December 18, 2017). "Over The Last 20 Years, Broadway's 'Lion King' Has Made More Money For Disney Than 'Star Wars'". Forbes.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 2), Origins (DVD). Walt Disney Home Entertainment. June 15, 1994.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride Archived July 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine - ComingSoon.net
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Lion King (1994)". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on December 27, 2009. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
  6. ^ "Disney: Notes on the end of the Disney Renaissance". decentfilms.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  7. ^ Schweizer, Peter and Rochelle Schweizer. Disney: The Mouse Betrayed: Greed, corruption, and children at risk, Regnery, Washington, D.C., 1998. Chapter 11 "The Lyin' King", pp. 167–168.
  8. ^ Ladd, Fred; Deneroff, Harvey (2008). Astro Boy and Anime Come to the Americas: An Insider's View of the Birth of a Pop Culture Phenomenon. McFarland. p. 64. ISBN 9780786452576.
  9. ^ Sunder, Madhavi (2012). From Goods to a Good Life: Intellectual Property and Global Justice. Yale University Press. p. 155156. ISBN 978-0300183559.
  10. ^ Patten, Fred (2004). Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews. Stone Bridge Press. p. 171. ISBN 9781611725100. ISBN 1-880656-92-2
  11. ^ Bradley, Bill (January 27, 2015). "Was 'The Lion King' Copied From A Japanese Cartoon? Here's The Real Story". Huffington Post. p. 171. (updated Dec 06, 2017)
  12. ^ Raz, Aviad E. (1999). Riding the Black Ship: Japan and Tokyo Disneyland. Harvard University Asia Center. p. 163. ISBN 9780674768949.
  13. ^ "Japanese animator protests 'Lion King'". United Press International. August 18, 1994.
  14. ^ Churnin, Nancy (March 9, 2004). "Catch the 'King' when he was a cub". Rome News-Tribune. News Publishing Co. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  15. ^ "Joe Leydon. The Lion King 1½. Variety. February 11, 2004". Variety. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  16. ^ "Chris Willman. The Lion King 1 ½. Entertainment Weekly. February 20, 2004". EW.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  17. ^ Lesley Goldberg. "'Lion King' Sequel Series Coming to Disney Junior". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Steinberg, Brian (August 12, 2015). "Disney to Revive 'Lion King' With 'Lion Guard' TV Series". Variety. Variety Media. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  19. ^ Butler, Karen (June 23, 2017). "David Oyelowo to voice villain Scar in 'The Lion Guard'". UPI. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  20. ^ Gettell, Oliver (February 17, 2017). "Donald Glover to play Simba in Disney's live-action Lion King". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017.
  21. ^ "Disney and Jon Favreau Joining Forces on "The Lion King"". The Walt Disney Company. September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on September 29, 2016.
  22. ^ Foutch, Haleigh (December 1, 2016). "Jon Favreau Offers Updates on 'The Lion King' and 'The Jungle Book 2'". Collider. Archived from the original on December 6, 2016.
  23. ^ "'Lion King' Remake Casts Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones as Mufasa". Archived from the original on February 18, 2017.
  24. ^ "The Lion King Remake Cast Adds Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa". April 25, 2017. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017.
  25. ^ Valerio, Britt. "Release Dates for Frozen 2, Star Wars: Episode IX, The Lion King and More Have Been Announced". Oh My Disney. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  26. ^ Donnelly, Matt. "John Oliver Joins Disney's Live-Action 'The Lion King' (Exclusive)". The Wraps. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  27. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 29, 2020). "'The Lion King' Followup Set With 'Moonlight' Director Barry Jenkins To Helm For Walt Disney Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b Rubin, Rebecca; Lang, Brent (September 29, 2020). "'The Lion King' Follow-Up in the Works With Director Barry Jenkins". Variety. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  30. ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 9, 2015). "'Lion Guard' Series Gets Disney Channel Launch Date". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  31. ^ Brett, Susan (February 8, 2016). "Exclusive Interview: Disney's The Lion Guard creator Ford Riley talks new Lion King sequel". TVdaily.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  32. ^ Fritz, Ben (June 9, 2014). "Disney Junior Plans Preschool Series Based on 'The Lion King' (Exclusive)". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  33. ^ Hellmann, Melissa (June 10, 2014). "Spin-Off of The Lion King Aims to Enchant a New Generation of Viewers". TIME. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  34. ^ Koch, Dave (June 18, 2014). "Three New Animated Series, Reboots All". Big Cartoon News. Archived from the original on June 20, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  35. ^ Swift, Andy (November 23, 2015). "The Lion Guard: Did Disney Channel's New Movie Do The Lion King Justice?". Archived from the original on November 27, 2015.
  36. ^ "Disney's The Lion Guard gets short-form spinoff". Archived from the original on January 12, 2016.
  37. ^ Taymor, Julie, The Lion King: Pride Rock on Broadway, (Disney Editions, 1998)
  38. ^ "The Lion King is moving from New Amsterdam Theatre to the Minskoff Theatre". www.newyorktheatreguide.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
  39. ^ "An all-star line up unveiled for the 80th anniversary show on BBC ONE" (PDF). Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 3, 2008. Retrieved November 17, 2008.
  40. ^ "The Lion King Sesma, White, Williams, Zama and Simmons Cast in Las Vegas Lion King". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 15, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  41. ^ "'The Lion King' Celebrates Successful Mexico City Premiere". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  42. ^ Davie, Lucille."The Lion King comes home" Archived December 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, southafrica.info, June 8, 2007
  43. ^ "The Lion King video game". MobyGames. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  44. ^ "The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure video game". IGN. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  45. ^ Anthony Burch (June 3, 2008). "Games time forgot: Timon and Pumbaa's Jungle Games". Destructoid. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  46. ^ "Disney's Adventures in Typing with Timon and Pumbaa for Windows (1998)". MobyGames. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  47. ^ "Disney's Adventures in Typing With Timon and Pumbaa". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  48. ^ "The Lion King 1½ Game Boy Advance info/review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  49. ^ "Kingdom Hearts:Magic Summons". eyesonff.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
  50. ^ "Kingdom Hearts II: Worlds (The Pride Lands)". na.square-enix.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
  51. ^ Evans, Nick (May 3, 2019). "Why Chiwetel Ejiofor Really Wanted To Play The Lion King's Scar". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  52. ^ Disneyland Presents The Lion King Celebration: VHS
  53. ^ "House of Mouse Cast of Characters". WhatsIts Galore. Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  54. ^ Dredge, Stuart (February 24, 2012). "Apps Rush: George Harrison, Toca House, The Land of Me, Lion King, Fortean Times and more". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  55. ^ "Bambi Notes". The Walt Disney Company. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
  56. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Lion King Production Notes". Lionking.org. Archived from the original on October 26, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  57. ^ "Thomas M. Disch's contract and film treatment". www.jamescumminsbookseller.com. Retrieved November 29, 2008.[dead link]
  58. ^ The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 2), Computer Animation (DVD). Walt Disney Home Entertainment. June 15, 1994.
  59. ^ "Pocahontas revenue". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2008.
  60. ^ Jump up to: a b "The Lion King". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 2, 2006. Retrieved September 24, 2006.
  61. ^ "Pocahontas". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007. Retrieved September 17, 2006.
  62. ^ Lion King II: Simba's Pride - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes New York Times
  63. ^ The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 1), Music: African Influence (DVD). Walt Disney Home Entertainment. June 15, 1994.
  64. ^ "Disney Legends: Elton John". The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  65. ^ "AFI's "100 Years, 100 Songs". Classic Movies. Archived from the original on June 21, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  66. ^ "Year-end 1994 Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 1, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  67. ^ "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride - Siskel & Ebert".[permanent dead link]
  68. ^ "Lion King 1½ Soundtrack". Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
  69. ^ "Highest grossing animated films". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2008.
  70. ^ "The Lion King interview". Archived from the original on December 31, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  71. ^ "The 67th Academy Awards (1994): Nominees and Winners". Oscarguy.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
  72. ^ "Search - Lion King, The". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Archived from the original on March 3, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  73. ^ "Legacy: 22nd Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1994)". Annie Awards. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  74. ^ "Charts - TOP VENTES VHS". JP's Box Office. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  75. ^ Grover, Ronald (February 16, 1998). "The Entertainment Glut". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  76. ^ Hettrick and Chris Gennusa, Scott (March 6, 2001). "'Tramp' sequel scampers into vid paydirt". Variety.com. Variety Media LLC. Archived from the original on November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  77. ^ Hettrick, Scott (June 23, 2000). "Video bows mint coin". Variety.
  78. ^ Herrick, Scott (October 26, 2003). "There's gold in them DVDs". Variety. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  79. ^ Ball, Ryan (March 2, 2004). "Lion King 1 1/2 Tops 2004 Sales". Animation Magazine. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  80. ^ "The Lion King Tony Awards". tonyawards.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  81. ^ "The Lion King Study Guide" (PDF). disney.go.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  82. ^ Jump up to: a b c "The Lion King (1994)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on May 17, 2009. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  83. ^ "THE LION KING Broadway Grosses". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  84. ^ "Disney Sets Release Dates For 'Frozen 2,' 'Lion King,' and More". April 25, 2017. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017.
  85. ^ Jump up to: a b c "The Lion King". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  86. ^ "The Lion King". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  87. ^ Jump up to: a b "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  88. ^ "The Lion King - Critics Reviews". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on December 27, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  89. ^ "The Lion King 2 - Simba's Pride". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  90. ^ "The Lion King 1 1/2". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  91. ^ "The Lion King (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  92. ^ "The Lion King (2019) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
Retrieved from ""