The Lion King

Story

Lion cub Simba is set to succeed his father, King Mufasa, as ruler of Pride Rock. However, when his Uncle Scar convinces him to take the blame for Mufasa’s death, Simba is forced to flee the Pride Lands. With the help of some unlikely friends Simba learns to overcome his fears and finds his place in nature’s great ‘circle of life’.

Why we chose it

The Lion King was Disney’s first animated feature film with an original story and has been a firm favourite with cinema audiences. The stage musical has enjoyed similar success.

Where it came from

The story explores themes and relationships similar to those in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. Simba’s journey also echoes the bible stories of Moses and Joseph, two exiled royals who must return to claim their kingdoms.

Where it went next

As the highest grossing release of 1994, and the highest grossing hand-drawn animated feature of all time, the film was a huge success. It was awarded two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes, and was remade as a photorealistic computer animation in 2019. The 1997 Broadway adaptation has also been incredibly successful, becoming the highest grossing production in Broadway history and winning six Tony awards.

Associated stories

Other films produced by Disney during this period (known as the ‘Disney Renaissance’) include Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and Hercules (1997). The Lion King itself was also followed by various sequels and TV series.