At this point, The Lion King is more than a 90’s fan favorite. This monumental film has an entire franchise behind it! After the 2019 release of the live action Lion King brought a classic to live with modern technology, the film seems to have endless ways of being continued in so many different medias. So bring it on, Broadway musicals, Lion King II, Lion King 1 1/2, and Lion Guards – we’re still here for all of it and ready for more!
- An Observation Upgrade – When the animated classic was being created, famous behind the scene footage showed the artists observing their animal subjects in studio. Real life lions, hyenas and more were brought in! For the recent film, Jon Favreau took a trip to Kenya with a team to observe the animals in their natural habitat in order to accurately portray their real life movements.
- The Toot Heard Round the World – In 1994, our beloved warthog was the first Disney character to fart on screen! Not only did to bring joy to the masses, but managed to break ground – as well as wind. AND OH THE SHAMEEEEE.
- A Role Fit for Royals – James Earl Jones (Mustafa) and Madge Sinclair (Sarabi) have played King and Queen before. Look out for their voices in the 1988 movie “Coming to America” – starring Eddie Murphy.
- An Unforgettable Voice – When we hear Mustafa – it is hard to get the beloved voice of James Earl Jones out of ones head. Yet two other famous actors were up for the running! Sean Connery and Liam Neeson were up against James Earl Jones for the role of Simbas’ father. It all depends on who you ask, but many believe the right choice was made.
- Merchandise Galore – According to a UPI article from 1994, it was noted that The Lion King merchandise was about to hit $1 Billion in sales. That number might be a drop in the bucket for Disney now, but coming off of a rough go in the 1980’s – all things were looking up for the animation giant.
- 2 Years Well Spent – According to Lion King film notes, the famous stampede scene took 2 years to animate – whilst the entire scene was around 2.5 minutes long. For such a crucial moment in the film and to this day is noted as one of the most powerful scenes in the movie.
- Friends in Real Life – The animators that had the task in animating Timon and Pumbaa were actually friends – as well as coworkers fin real life. According to the film notes, they had also worked on scenes with Cogsworth and Lumiere! It just so happens that the voice of Timon and Pumbaa, Ernie Sabella and Nathan Lane were off-screen friends and had worked in Broadway’s Guys and Dolls.
It is crazy to think that it has been 25 years since the original film has come out. To many, it still stands as one of the most important films that Disney has ever created. There is still a nostalgic and familiar value when one visualizes opening up the famous VHS clam-shells and popping in The Lion King to enjoy with the whole family. Now, in 2019, we have a new opportunity to make memories with the release of the newest version on Blu-Ray. So gather around with your family and get ready to unleash all the new facts that you’ve just learned and enjoy!
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