30 years ago today, Roger Allers’ and Rob Minkoff’s ‘The Lion King’ roared into theaters and quickly claimed its rightful place as king of the box office. The film was a critical and commercial success – to this day, it is still one of the highest grossing films of all time. It spawned a franchise that now includes five feature films, two television shows, and a Broadway musical.
The magnum opus of Walt Disney Studios, ‘The Lion King’ will forever be the pinnacle of animated storytelling.
READ: “20 Weeks of Disney Animation: ‘The Lion King'”
The King and I
I have loved ‘The Lion King’ for as long as I can remember. My parents purchased the film on VHS for my sister, since it was the first film she ever saw in theaters. However, that tape quickly found a new owner. I asked my parents when my love for ‘The Lion King’ started, they couldn’t pinpoint it – it’s just always been a part of me.
The music, the colors, the scenery – they all came together to create true magic. A film that can be beloved by both young and old, that can grow with you. Though ‘The Lion King’ is technically a children’s film, I am proud to call it my favorite movie to this day, something which will never change. The gender reveal for my son was ‘The Lion King’-themed, and if I ever have a daughter, her name will come from this franchise.
This movie shaped who I am and all of the relationships in my life, yet I’ve never really gotten a chance to delve into why, and what makes it so unique. So join me as I venture into the Pride Lands to discuss why ‘The Lion King’ is such a classic, and where the franchise as a whole goes from here.
The Pride
‘The Lion King’ an interpretation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, tells the story of Simba, a lion prince, and his journey from a headstrong cub to a true king.
Being an adaptation of a Shakespeare work, the film tackled heavy topics such as regicide and childhood trauma. For many in my generation, the film was our first exposure to death. Seeing Mufasa fall from the cliff and hearing Simba’s cries will forever be ingrained in my memory. It’s a visceral, emotional experience for such a young audience to have – but the scene is crafted so brilliantly, and handled with care in such a way that instead of parents shying away from showing the movie to their kids, the film has become a right of passage in childhood. Generations of parents use the ‘The Lion King’ to introduce their children to mortality and the circle of life.
The characters are instantly memorable – Timon and Pumbaa are a perfect comedic pair and liven up every scene they share, Scar is a menacing, unhinged villain who you love to hate, Simba and Nala are childhood best friends who lose touch but reconnect as more in adulthood, and nothing compares to James Earl Jones as Mufasa.
Mufasa, Simba’s father, was the benevolent ruler of the Pride Lands before he was murdered by his brother, Scar. The character is on-screen for less than 15 minutes, but his impact is eternal. He was a firm and strict father, but also friendly and caring. The life lessons he imparted on his son translate to us as humans and his example has inspired a generation of men on how to be fathers. His death left an impact not only on his kingdom, but on everyone who heard his story.
Can You Hear The Love Tonight
Elton John, Tim Rice, and Hans Zimmer joined forces for ‘The Lion King’ to create one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. The music of ‘The Lion King’ won one Academy Award and two Golden Globes (Best Original Song for Can You Feel the Love Tonight and Best Original Score for Hans Zimmer). Can You Feel the Love Tonight is a soaring ballad that serves as the backtrack for the film’s rekindling of hope and blossoming of romance, but falls short of being the most powerful piece in the film.
From the first note, The Circle of Life captivates audiences. The song’s majesty and purity draws the audience into the Pride Lands and holds tight. It is undoubtedly one of the most iconic songs in the Disney catalogue, and the background to the greatest opening in cinematic history.
Everything The Light Touches
Three years after ‘The Lion King’ premiered, the musical The Lion King opened on Broadway. It too became a critical and commercial success; the musical won six Tonys and is currently the highest-grossing production in Broadway history.
One year after that, ‘The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride’ came out straight to video. The Romeo & Juliet-inspired film received positive reviews from critics and is widely regarded as one of the best Disney sequels.
Not only did ‘The Lion King’ have a sequel, but a midquel as well. ‘The Lion King 1 1/2’, based off Shakespeare’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead expands the characters of Timon and Pumbaa and hilariously fills the audience in on what the duo was up to before they met Simba, not mention having some of the best bonus features to ever exist on a DVD.
The franchise also spawned two animated spinoff series – ‘The Lion King’s Timon & Pumbaa’ that aired from 1995-1999 and won multiple Daytime Emmys, and ‘The Lion Guard’, centered around Simba and Nala’s young son Kion.
When the age of live-action remakes began, ‘The Lion King’ was announced as one of the films to be reimagined for the new generation with groundbreaking technology. While the 2019 remake was critically panned, it made over 1.6 billion dollars, becoming the highest grossing readaptation in Disney history.
The critical success of the legacy installments in the franchise secured ‘The Lion King’ the coveted EGOT. It remains one of the only franchises to achieve this rare feat.
The Winds Are Changing
After the commercial success of ‘The Lion King (2019)’, a prequel film entitled ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ was announced, which will be coming to theaters in December 2024. Though Disney will be cutting back on live-action adaptations and remakes, if this film performs as well at the box office as its predecessor, I would say there are more films from the Pride Lands on the horizon.
READ: “‘Mufasa: The Lion King” Could Lead Into More Movies”
One thing ‘The Lion King’ has lacked (in my opinion) is a strong presence in Disney theme parks across the world. Yes, there are/were stage productions based off the film in multiple parks, but it’s shocking that one of Disney’s most lucrative IPs has never had a solid permanent presence in the parks. Newer crowd pleasers like ‘Frozen’ have their own lands across multiple parks, but ‘The Lion King’ has been left out of the equation. But hopefully, not for much longer.
It has long been rumored that the third gate for the Disneyland Paris expansion will include a ‘The Lion King’-themed land, to include Pride Rock and a flume ride. Construction is expected to start on Disney Adventure World soon, so I fully expect an official announcement of this land at this year’s D23 Expo in August.
Not only will ‘The Lion King’ get recognition in Paris, but it’s also been rumored that the land will be cloned for Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World. This park makes the most sense for the franchise, given how the film’s location meshes so well with the attractions and decor already in place.
The Circle of Life
‘The Lion King’ has reigned supreme for 30 years, and the franchise won’t be slowing down any time soon. Its message of never forgetting where you come from and taking your place in the circle of life is just as poignant today as it was 30 years ago. This film and franchise have always been and will continue to be my problem-free philosophy.
‘The Lion King’ is available to stream exclusively on Disney+.
