THE LION KING [1994]

Hello everyone! Today we will be looking at the 1994 animated DISNEY classic “THE LION KING”, which is now thirty years old! So let’s get started!

Do you know what the opening chant in “THE CIRCLE OF LIFE” really means?

The opening lyrics of “THE CIRCLE OF LIFE”, the stirring song at the beginning of “THE LION KING”, are sung in ZULU, an AFRICAN language. You can probably hear them in your head right now, even if you don’t know what they mean in ENGLISH [YOUR WELCOME: "Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba / Sithi uhm ingonyama / Nants ingonyama bagithi baba / Sithi uhhmm ingonyama / Ingonyama Siyo Nqoba / Ingonyama Ingonyama nengw enamabala"]. As it turns out, the lyrics translate to “Here comes a LION, FATHER, Oh yes it’s a LION/Here comes a LION, FATHER, Oh yes it’s a LION. A LION we’re going to conquer, a LION, a LION and a LEOPARD come to this open place,” which is more simple and direct than you might’ve expected them to be, given their dramatic grandeur.

And speaking of that particular language:

This movie is the first DISNEY cartoon to be DUBBED into ZULU for its AFRICAN release. It is also, as of DECEMBER 2019, the only DISNEY film to have been DUBBED in ZULU, the only AFRICAN LANGUAGE aside from ARABIC to have been used for a feature-length DISNEY DUB.

Incase you were wondering: “THE LION KING” in ZULU is called “INKOSI IBHUBESI” [in english that means “THE KING IS A LION”].

Did you know that the film originally wasn’t going to be a MUSICAL?

It's hard to imagine “THE LION KING” without its ELTON JOHN SOUNDTRACK, but it originally wasn't even going to be a MUSICAL at all! The original concept for the film was called “KING OF THE JUNGLE”, and according to PRODUCER and DISNEY bigwig THOMAS SCHUMACHER, “KING OF THE JUNGLE was not a MUSICAL and bore more than a passing resemblance to an animated NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SPECIAL.” While the finished product had all the stunning landscapes of a “NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SPECIAL”, the narrative and musical elements made it way more crowd-pleasing than the more DOCUMENTARY-INSPIRED version would've been.

Did you know that the roars that you hear throughout the movie did not actually come from any actual LIONS?

There are many great sound effects throughout “THE LION KING”. The LIONS’ roars are particularly striking, and they’re so authentic that most of us have always assumed they’re genuine roars from real LIONS. But this isn’t the case.

The lions' roars were actually created by a talented VOICE ACTOR named FRANK WELKER, who is probably best known for his work on “SCOOBY-DOO!” [1969-PRESENT]. Using a trashcan to amplify his voice, WELKER performed roars, growls, howls, and rips during the making of “THE LION KING”, and the results were truly remarkable.

Whilst some of the LION noises came from real-life recordings of TIGERS, WELKER’S performance was a fundamental part of the movie. How he managed to create such realistic noises is beyond comprehension. At no point in the film does it sound like you’re listening to a HUMAN rather than an ANIMAL.

For those who are eager to witness WELKER working his magic, you can check out his performance over on YOUTUBE.

[WELKER and the many characters that he has voiced over the years!]

Did you know that a lot of people at THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY did not believe that this film would be a big hit?

Since it was released, “THE LION KING” has been lavished with unanimous praise. But – ironically enough – DISNEY didn’t think the movie would be a big hit. They actually expected “POCAHONTAS” [1995] [which was made concurrently with “THE LION KING”] to be more successful because it was a romantic story that was more consistent with other successful DISNEY movies, such as “THE LITTLE MERMAID” [1989] and “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” [1991]. According to PRODUCER DON HAHN, “THE LION KING” was seen as a bit of an experiment: “On “THE LION KING”, we were always referred to as the B-movie, because it was a great risk. Doing a movie about Africa, doing a movie with no HUMANS. A movie with [SIR] ELTON JOHN, who hadn’t really written a MUSICAL before. It was seen as an experiment, a branch out into new territory.” Even JEFFREY KATZENBERG [THE DISNEY CHAIRMAN at the time] didn’t expect the film to break the $50-million mark. His expectations were shattered when “THE LION KING” became the highest-grossing film of the year, raking in $750 million. “POCAHONTAS”, on the other hand, received a mixed response from CRITICS and earned around $350 million at the box office. It was still a financial success, but it made significantly less than “THE LION KING”.

Did you know that real LIONS were brought into the studio for THE ANIMATORS to study?

While ANIMATION can often allow many creative liberties, the filmmakers behind “THE LION KING” wanted the hand-drawn animals who take center stage to have some realism to their designs. While there are many cartoonish and colorful moments to be found in DISNEY’S adored animated classic, one key to its success comes from its well-crafted characters, who often walk and act like their real-life counterparts (minus, you know, the speaking ENGLISH thing). As it was revealed in a VHS promo for “THE LION KING”, the wild life animals were created by THE ANIMATORS studying the real thing, including real-life LIONS who were brought into the studio (safely, hopefully) for ANIMATORS to study. Certainly, this paid off — though one must assume that having real-life LIONS walking around the office doesn't result in a calm work day.

[A LION in the wild!]

[A LION being studied by a team of ANIMATORS while he is resting.]

[They also got to study some LION CUBS as well!]

Several DISNEY ANIMATORS also went to AFRICA to study animal behavior and interactions in the wild. The main locations for the film, including “PRIDE ROCK” and THE GORGE, are modeled after some areas in HELL’S GATE NATIONAL PARK in KENYA.

[A map of AFRICA.]

[MT. KILIMANJARO, EAST AFRICA.]

Did you know that over 600 ANIMATORS worked on this film?

It takes a lot of people to make a movie. Especially in the world of ANIMATION, where literally every frame needs to be created from a canvas, it takes a wealth of talented people to bring each drawn still to life on the screen. When it comes to DISNEY’S ANIMATION HOUSE, you can certainly expect dozens of professionals and trained hands to lend their skill sets to a project — especially one as big (or eventually as big) as “THE LION KING”. As it was reported by ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, there were more than 600 animators involved in the making of “THE LION KING”, including ANIMATORS, TECHNICIANS, and other pivotal figures in the process. Indeed, every moment was intensely scrutinized, retooled, or remade again. Even the little, seemingly inconsequential bits costs lots of money, time, and headaches. But that's the cost of greatness.

[Here is some artwork of “YOUNG SIMBA” for example.]

Do you know who else was considered to play “SCAR”? And do you know how the voices of “TIMON AND PUMBAA” got their respective parts?

It's hard to imagine anyone's voice coming out of “SCAR’S” mouth besides JEREMY IRONS’. The ACTOR’S award-winning performance as the menacing, scornful brother of “MUFASA” [Voiced by the late JAMES EARL JONES - JANUARY 17, 1931 – SEPTEMBER 9, 2024] who wouldn't stop at anything — not even murdering his own kin — to become the ruler of “PRIDE ROCK” is a roaring achievement. It's as chilling as it is deliciously evil. IRONS’ silver tongue and his SHAKESPEAREAN gravitas turned the malicious LION into arguably one of the best villains in DISNEY’S long history of outstanding miscreants. Even in the thespian's prestigious and celebrated career, “SCAR” remains one of his most iconic roles. Alas, in another world, he might not have gotten the part. As THOMAS S. HISCHAK revealed in his book, “DISNEY VOICE ACTORS: A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY”, TIM CURRY and MALCOLM McDOWELL were both "seriously considered" to voice “SCAR”. While both of those actors would've likely done great work in the part, DIRECTORS ROB MINKOFF and ROGER ALLERS picked IRONS because of "his classical THEATRE training," wanting IRONS to play “SCAR” as "a SHAKESPEAREAN character." Indeed, IRONS plays the part with both a snarl and a sneer. It's playful, but that sportive attitude never undermines the viciousness of its intent. While McDOWELL and CURRY are both wonderful ACTORS, THE DIRECTORS made the right call with IRONS. He nailed the character perfectly, providing one of the most fabulous villain performances in ANIMATION history. Likewise, it's hard to imagine anyone but NATHAN LANE’S and ERNIE SABELLA’S voices coming out of the mouths of “TIMON” and “PUMBAA”, respectively. This scene-stealing pair of social outcasts are a reliable comic relief duo, providing lots of irreverent glee and cheeky mischief to the animated family film — notably after its darkest moment. Their boisterous chemistry and rambunctious free spirits are richly indebted to these charismatic and charming voice PERFORMERS, and it wouldn't be the same movie without them playing these memorable personalities. Which is why it's surprising to know that initially, DISNEY didn't have them in mind for these characters. In particular, LANE was sought for a number of side characters before he became “TIMON”. As LANE revealed in a conversation with MATHEW BRODERICK [The voice of “ADULT SIMBA] and EXECUTIVE PRODUCER THOMAS SCHUMACHER, he was originally sought to voice “ZAZU” [ROWAN ATKINSON], though this idea was ultimately short-lived. Later, LANE auditioned to voice one of the HYENAS [WHOOPI GOLDBERG - “SHENZI”, CHEECH MARIN - “BANZAI” and JIM CUMMINGS - “ED”], and he asked if SABELLA could join him for the read-through. Sure enough, in that audition, the filmmakers realized these immensely talented PERFORMERS were perfect together — albeit for two very different characters. And the rest is history.

[IRONS]

[“SCAR”]

[Left-to-right: SABELLA, LANE and JASON WEAVER - the original SINGING VOICE of “YOUNG SIMBA” - performing “HAKUNA MATATA” during “THE LION KING AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL” - 2025]

[Left-to-right, again: “PUMBAA”, “TIMON” -top/middle - and “YOUNG SIMBA”.]

During “BE PREPARED”, the HYENAS’ marching past “SCAR” on the elevated rock was inspired by footage of NAZIS marching by ADOLF HITLER on a podium.

[This is the best image I could find.]

The irony of the HYENAS goose-stepping as “SCAR” presides is ironic in light of the GERMAN DUB. THOMAS FRITSCH [JANUARY 16TH, 1944 - APRIL 21ST, 2021], the GERMAN voice of “SCAR”, is the son of WILLY FRITSCH [JANUARY 27, 1901 - JULY 13TH, 1973], a PERFORMER, SINGER and RELUCTANT NAZI. WILLY had joined THE NAZI PARTY under pressure and had avoided getting involved in any propaganda. Although he survived, he was partially watched by the GESTAPO.

[THOMAS FRITSCH]

[WILLY FRITSCH]

Do you know the truth behind the story behind the song “BE PREPARED”?

CUMMINGS had to fill in for IRONS for the finale of “BE PREPARED”. IRONS threw out his voice after performing the line, "you won't get a sniff without me!" The rest of his recording didn't sound powerful enough. Well that’s DISNEY’S side of the story. Here’s what one of the songs’ PERFORMERS had to say about what really happened: Despite popular believe, CUMMINGS didn't fill in for IRONS in “BE PREPARED” because IRONS threw his voice out. CUMMINGS DID fill in for him on the song. But according to CUMMINGS in his podcast, “TOON’D IN WITH JIM CUMMINGS” [2023-PRESENT], DISNEY asked CUMMINGS to finish the singing portion of the song because IRONS’ vocals lacked. CUMMINGS said the story about IRONS’ voice going out was the one DISNEY publicized. IRONS finally got to perform the hit song in its entirety on his own as part of the DISNEY+ special “THE LION KING AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL”.

[IRONS with some “HYENAS”.]

[“ED”]

[CUMMINGS] [Unfortunately I was not able to find a decent video clip of the performance, you will have to watch it on DISNEY+ for yourself if you have it. sorry!]

“THE WILDEBEEST STAMPEDE” stampede took DISNEY’S CG DEPARTMENT approximately three years to animate. A new computer program had to be written for the CG “WILDEBEEST STAMPEDE” that allowed hundreds of computer generated animals to run but without colliding into each other.

[There’s a WILDEBEEST for you guys!]

Did you know that “MUFASA’S” death has a surprising connection to RUDYARD KIPLING’S [DECEMBER 30, 1865 — JANUARY 18, 1936] “THE JUNGLE BOOK” [1894]?

In KIPLING’S original story, “MOWGLI” doesn't directly kill “SHERE KHAN”. He traps “SHERE KHAN” in a narrow ravine and incites a BUFFALO stampede to kill the TIGER. In the DISNEY version, “MOWGLI” uses fire to scare “SHERE KHAN” away, ultimately leading to his defeat.

Here is the two scenes:

KIPLING’S STORY:

“MOWGLI”, with the help of “AKELA”, the WOLFPACK LEADER, and his WOLF brothers, leads “SHERE KHAN” into a narrow ravine. They then incite a herd of BUFFALOES to stampede right into “SHERE KHAN”, ultimately crushing him under their hooves.

DISNEY version:

In the DISNEY adaptation, “MOWGLI” uses fire to scare the TIGER away! He ties a burning stick to “SHERE KHAN’S” tail, and the TIGER is afraid of fire, so he runs away, ultimately being chased out of the JUNGLE.

IN “THE LION KING”

“SCAR” lures “SIMBA” [“YOUNG” SPEAKING VOICE: JONATHAN TAYLOR THOMAS, SINGING VOICE: JASON WEAVER [1994 ORIGINAL], EVAN SAUCEDO [2003 SPECIAL EDITION], “ADULT” SPEAKING VOICE: MATHEW BRODERICK and SINGING VOICE: JOSEPH WILLIAMS] into a gorge and, with help from the HYENAS, orchestrates a WILDEBEEST stampede, knowing “MUFASA” will risk his life to save his son. After rescuing “SIMBA”, “MUFASA” is swept into the stampede and struggles to escape. Reaching for “SCAR’S” help at the gorge's edge, “MUFASA” is betrayed as “SCAR” pushes him to his death.

Did you know about the SFX easter egg related urban legend?

In one well-known sequence, “SIMBA” kicks up a cloud of dust on a cliff while watching the stars with his pals “TIMON” and “PUMBAA”. For years, there's been an urban legend that if you look at the shot just right, the dust cloud spells out the word “S-X” [I don’t dare to spell it out here]. In actuality, the dust cloud spells "SFX," and was meant to be a little easter egg from THE SPECIAL EFFECTS DEPARTMENT.

[See if you can figure out which word is in this image!]

The easter egg was removed from later home video releases to avoid further controversy.

Did you know that ABBA was going to be apart of the film’s soundtrack?

The process of bringing “THE LION KING” to life was long and filled with detours. At one point, the campy SWEDISH pop group ABBA was even going to be involved! TIM RICE, who composed lyrics for the film, had previously worked with two of the band's members on the 1984 musical “CHESS”, and they were hoping to continue the partnership for the DISNEY movie. However, a combination of scheduling conflicts and disapproval from some of the producers got in the way, but it's still fun to imagine “SIMBA” busting a move to “DANCING QUEEN”.

[ABBA]

Did you know that the film holds a world record?

If you were raising kids in the '90s (or you were a kid yourself at the time!) chances are good that there was a videotape of “THE LION KING” in your home. When the film came out, HOME VIDEO was at its peak, and after racking up huge numbers at THE BOX OFFICE, the VHS sold over 30 million copies, setting a record for the most tapes ever sold.

Did you know that “THE LION KING” also sold a lot of merchandise?

As an animated kid's movie, “THE LION KING” had a ton of merchandise. Toys, clothes, accessories — any item you can think of, there was probably a “LION KING” version of it in the '90s. In 1994 alone, the film pulled in over $1 billion in merchandise sales, giving DISNEY a true moment of “HAKUNA MATATA.

Did you know that “THE LION KING” is a major first for DISNEY?

“THE LION KING” has long been billed as the first DISNEY ANIMATED film to feature a completely original storyline—that is, one that was not an adaptation of a preexisting story. [Though there are some individuals who dispute this claim, saying that the story took inspiration from both “HAMLET” [1599 or 1601-PRESENT], as well as other works by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE [ April 23, 1564 – April 23, 1616] - this argument was proven to be true! and the JAPANESE MANGA/ANIME franchise “KIMBA, THE WHITE LION” a.k.a. “JUNGLE EMPEROR” [1950-PRESENT], an animated series from the 1960s - this argument was proven to be false!]

[“SIMBA” vs. “KIMBA”]

The “HAMLET” and “KIMBA” connections have been much remarked upon, but there are many other sources of inspiration, including an earlier DISNEY classic, “BAMBI” [1942]. In fact, PRODUCER DON HAHN said that when DISNEY was just starting out on the film, they pitched it as “BAMBI IN AFRICA”. SCREENWRITER IRENE MECCHI said in “THE MAKING OF THE LION KING” that the idea for the movie was first presented to her as ““HAMLET” in AFRICA with “BAMBI” thrown in, so “Bamblet”.”

The movie also drew from the BIBLICAL STORIES of MOSES and JOSEPH, and SCHOLARS have pointed out similarities to the stories of real-life figures of the ANCIENT AFRICAN MONARCHY.

Here is one of them, according to IMDB: “THE LION KING” is very similar to a story almost unknown to WESTERN culture but one of the most beloved historical stories of the NIGER CONGO LANGUAGE FAMILY [WESTERN AFRICA]. It is a story about one of their greatest KINGS - “SUNDIATA: AN EPIC OF OLD MALI”. The main character “SUNDIATA” [which, directly translated, means “THE LION KING”] is a young PRINCE banished from his homeland by his family after his father dies. The story tracks his overcoming of emotional and physical ailments to later return to his KINGDOM and battle the evil sorcerer KING who has overtaken it in his absence. This is a true story with some magical elements added and is still told by GRIOTS [history-keepers for upper-class families, aka “RAFIKI” in the film].

Did you know that another DIRECTOR was originally hired to DIRECT the film?

GEORGE SCRIBNER has been working for DISNEY in various capacities for several years. He is currently an ANIMATION CONTRCTOR for WALT DISNEY IMAGINEERING. SCRIBNER joined THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY as an ANIMATOR in the mid-1980s and became popular for DIRECTING “OLIVER & COMPANY” (1988). Considering the success of that film, naturally, DISNEY turned to SCRIBNER to DIRECT “THE LION KING”. After six months of story development and production, SCRIBNER clashed with the PRODUCERS over their decision to make the movie a MUSICAL. SCRIBNER wanted it to be like the previously mentioned NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SPECIAL type of ANIMATED feature film [see above]. When it became obvious that SCRIBNER would not have his way with the PRODUCERS, he quit the project. Even the PRODUCERS of the movie were forced to lose faith in the project as the more experienced DISNEY ANIMATORS opted for other projects. Ultimately, “THE LION KING” succeeded against all odds. Even after years with the company, George Scribner’s best-known work is the also previously mentioned film “OLIVER & COMPANY” and the mini-movie “MICKEY MOUSE IN THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER” [1990]. Does he wish he had stayed on “THE LION KING” project after all? Only SCRIBNER himself knows!

[SCRIBNER]

Did you know that someone else almost played “MUFASA”?

“Remember who you are.” It's hard to imagine anyone else's saying those iconic words than JAMES EARL JONES, who delivered a powerful performance as “MUFASA” that was so irreplaceable, DISNEY asked him to reprise it in the 2019 remake, the only actor from the 1994 film extended that honor. And yet, the studio initially targeted someone else to voice “SIMBA’S” father. According to an interview in a special “LION KING” issue of “DISNEY ADVENTURES” MAGAZINE, FILMMAKERS first thought “MUFASA” could be played by SIR SEAN CONNERY [Originally known as SIR THOMAS SEAN CONNERY] [AUGUST 25, 1930 – OCTOBER 31, 2020). Yes, “JAMES BOND” himself was in the running to be the ruler of “THE PRIDE LANDS”. “THE DIRECTORS were looking for someone with strength and a sense of command in his voice, yet someone who could be a fun dad,” PRODUCER DON HAHN explained to “DISNEY ADVENTURES”, “but the idea sort of faded after we heard JAMES EARL JONES. He was so perfect for the part.” Perfect is the only word that adequately describes JONES’ performance. The actor, who was also of course the voice of “DARTH VADER” (and CNN at the time), had a lot of admirability for THE ANIMATION PROCESS. In a 1994 BEHIND-THE-SCENES TELEVISION SPECIAL, appropriately called “THE MAKING OF THE LION KING” [1994], JONES said, “I think doing voice for ANIMATION is probably ACTING’S purest, most ancient forms. It's like the GREEK form of ACTING, ANCIENT GREEK, when they had masks on. In our case, the masks are THE ANIMATORS’ drawings.” THE SCRIPTWRITERS also envisioned CONNERY as the voice of “MUFASA”.

[JONES]

[CONNERY as “BOND, JAMES BOND.”]

[Do any of you 90’S kids remember this magazine series? Cause I do!]

[The T.V. special.]

[Here are the GREEK THEATRE MASKS that JONES was talking about!]

LIAM NEESON and TIMOTHY DALTON were also considered for the role of “MUFASA”, but later turned it down, though NEESON would later voice a lion in “THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE” [2005] and its sequels [“PRINCE CASPIAN” - 2008 and “THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER” - 2010] and DALTON would later have a role in a DISNEY/PIXAR film in “TOY STORY 3” [2010] and “TOY STORY 4” [2019] as well as the T.V. SPECIALS “TOY STORY OF TERROR!” [2013] and “TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT” [2014]. It is unknown at this time if DALTON will be in the upcoming “TOY STORY 5” [2026 - for now] or not.

[NEESON]

[DALTON also played “BOND”.]

Now let’s talk about the music:

We already mentioned ABBA. Now let’s reveal some fun facts about the music team that was involved!

HANS ZIMMER originally hesitated at the idea of composing music for a CHILDREN’S ANIMATED FILM, but eventually joined production after warming up to the story, which reminded him of his respective relationships with his father and daughter. His attitude towards ANIMATED FILMS eventually changed throughout the course of his involvement in the film's production. He later called his experience on working on “THE LION KING” (1994) as one of the greatest [experiences] in his professional career.

A few weeks before the film opened, SIR ELTON JOHN was given a special screening. Noticing that the film's love song had been left out, he successfully lobbied FORMER DISNEY CEO JEFFREY KATZENBERG to have the song put back in. Later, “CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT” won him an “ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SONG”.

JOHN and SIR TIM RICE were a little shocked when they saw that THE PRODUCERS originally intended to have their (eventual) OSCAR-WINNING love ballad “CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT” as a duet between “TIMON” and “PUMBAA”.

One of JOHN’S demands was that one of the film's songs had to be a love ballad that had potential to cross over into a radio hit. This became “CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT”.

When GERMAN-BORN COMPOSER HANS ZIMMER was asked to do the film's SCORE, he knew that he wanted to call in the services of his SOUTH AFRICAN friend, LEBO M.. The two had previously collaborated on “THE POWER OF ONE” (1992), so ZIMMER believed that LEBO would be perfect to provide some authenticity to the film's musical SOUNDTRACK. Although ZIMMER promised HAHN, MINKOFF and ALLERS that he would get LEBO on the film, he actually had no idea where his collaborator was nor how to contact him. However, it all worked out when LEBO showed up at ZIMMER’S house early one morning, completely out of the blue. It is LEBO M.’S call who is heard singing the opening bars of “CIRCLE OF LIFE”, and he also wrote the AFRICAN CHANT that underpins this stirring version of the song.

[LEBO M.]

[ZIMMER]

[JOHN]

[RICE]

The music of the little song “TIMON” performs for the HYENAS [“LUAU!”] is a fast-paced parody of the ALOHA CHANT, which can be heard in “WALT DISNEY’S ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM” in DISNEYLAND.

[WALT DISNEY showing off the characters from “THE ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM” to some guests.

The line, "What do you want me to do, dress in drag and do the HULA?" was improvised by LANE.

Originally the HULA DANCE with “TIMON” was going to be a “SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER” (1977)-LIKE DISCO DANCE.

[“TIMON” doing the HULA!]

“MUFASA” was originally going to sing a song titled “TO BE KING”, but it didn't suit JONES’ singing voice.

[“MUFASA” AND “SIMBA”.]

There is a lost verse of “HAKUNA MATATA” that was storyboarded which explained “TIMON’S” situation. It was later used in “THE LION KING 1½” [2004].

Here’s another music-related fact for you that I found presented as a meme:

Did you know about the movie’s original opening?

The original opening to the film was supposed to have been a quiet dialogue-heavy sequence. When ZIMMER prepared his interpretation of “CIRCLE OF LIFE”, he made an extended version so he would have some flexibility as to what to cut for the film. THE ANIMATORS were so impressed with the work that they decided to change the beginning into the currently seen sequence so they could use the entire work that ZIMMER prepared.

The song that “RAFIKI” sings, "Asante sana, squash banana, wewe nugu mimi hapana" is often said to be SWAHILI for "Thank you very much, squash banana, you're a BABOON and I'm not." However, the SWAHILI word for BABOON, NYANI, is not part of the song. Some have suggested it in fact means "You're a DOG, and I'm not," but the word for DOG, MBWA, is not present either.

[“RAFIKI” teaching “SIMBA” a “lesson”!]

“THE LION KING” [1997-PRESENT] opened on BROADWAY in 1997. THE MUSICAL garnered six TONY AWARDS including BEST MUSICAL [See below for more.], and is produced by DISNEY THEATRICAL.

[The BROADWAY SHOW CAST re-enacting the “CIRCLE OF LIFE” introduction sequence from the movie for the STAGE!]

The Broadway production of “THE LION KING” opened at THE NEW AMSTERDAM THEATER on OCTOBER 15, 1997, has run for 6681 performances, and is the fourth-longest running show on BROADWAY (as of NOVEMBER 30, 2013). As I mentioned before, “THE LION KING” won the 1998 “TONY AWARD” [NEW YORK] for the “BEST MUSICAL” and received nominations for “BEST SCORE” and “BEST BOOK” and three others!

“SCAR” apparently hates the song “IT’S A SMALL WORLD”, as he tells “ZAZU” “No, no. Anything but that” when he tries to sing it. In some productions of the STAGE show held, “ZAZU” originally sang “SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS”, prior to the world premiere of the STAGE version of “MARY POPPINS” [2004–2008] in BRISTOL, ENGLAND, shortly before transferring to LONDON’S WEST END in 2004, but soon after the release of “FROZEN” [2013], “ZAZU” sang “LET IT GO” instead. “SCAR’S” reaction was the same.

[A picture of ACTOR ESTEBAN OLIVER in make-up and costume with the show’s official “ZAZU” puppet. OLIVER is one of the many PERFORMERS who has played “ZAZU” on STAGE!]

Did you know that DISNEY made a unique decision for the films’ first TRAILER?

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 INC. 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 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 “DISNEY’S THE THREE MUSKETEERS” [the LIVE-ACTION version!] in theaters, as only a third of “THE LION KING” had been completed. Audience reaction was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, causing HAHN to have some initial concerns as he became afraid of not living up to the expectations raised by the PREVIEW. DISNEY would, then, also follow a similar pattern for “POCAHONTAS”, as they've selected the entire scene with the song “COLORS OF THE WIND” to be the highlight of the film's first THEATRICAL TRAILER. That same TRAILER for “POCAHONTAS” would end up being included in the original 1994 VHS copies of “THE LION KING”.

WEAVER, was almost hired to do “YOUNG SIMBA’S” speaking voice too. But when ALLERS and MINKOFF called THE STUDIO’S LEGAL DEPARTMENT to arrange the deal, they got the news that THOMAS had literally just signed his contract for the film.

For its “PLATINUM/SPECIAL EDITION” DVD/VHS release, a new song was recorded and animated. “THE MORNING REPORT” was originally written for THE BROADWAY MUSICAL by JOHN and RICE. They wrote two other songs for the play, “CHOW DOWN” and “THE MADNESS OF KING SCAR”.

Also for the “SPECIAL/PLATINUM EDITION” release, the crew had to hire a new ACTOR to voice “YOUNG SIMBA” for the song “THE MORNING REPORT” since the original SINGING VOICE is now an adult. They hired SAUCEDO, making him the third out of five ACTORS to voice “YOUNG SIMBA”. The others include:

1. JONATHAN TAYLOR THOMAS

[1994]

2. JASON WEAVER

[A younger looking WEAVER - also 1994.]

3. MATT WEINBERG [“THE LION KING 1½”]

[2004]

4. JD McCRARY [the 2019 remake].

[2019]

And SAUCEDO himself

5. EVAN SAUCEDO

[2003]

“WALT DISNEY RECORDS: THE LEGACY COLLECTION: THE LION KING ” SOUNDTRACK was released on JUNE 24, 2014 to coincide with the film's 20TH ANNIVERSARY. The two-disc ALBUM includes approximately thirty minutes of previously unreleased music and liner notes from ZIMMER and HAHN.

ZIMMER got the main COMPOSER gig because of two other AFRICAN-THEMED films he had scored - “THE POWER OF ONE” [1992] and “A WORLD APART” [1988].

A different version of “HAKUNA MATATA” was recorded by JIMMY CLIFF along with LEBO M.. It was a REGGAE/POP version of the song and was originally intended to appear on “THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK” along with JOHN’S versions of “CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT”, “CIRCLE OF LIFE” and “I JUST CAN’T WAIT TO BE KING”. Ultimately the decision was made to not include it. It was, however, put on the "sequel" SOUNDTRACK “MUSIC INSPIRED BY THE LION KING: RHYTHM OF THE PRIDE LANDS” which was released on FEBRUARY 28, 1995.

The ITALIAN version of the song “BE PREPARED”, “SIATE PRONTI!”, has a transaltion error: when “BANZAI” comes out of the pile of bones, he said: “SI! Siamo pronti, saremo pronti... per cosa?” [“Yeah! Be prepared! We'll be prepared... for what?”] But “SCAR” said before “Sarò Re!” [“I'll be king!”] and not "Siate pronti!" [“BE PREPARED].

An extra song for “TIMON” and “PUMBAA”, “WARTHOG RHAPSODY”, was written by JOHN and RICE for the film, and was recorded by LANE, SABELLA, and WEAVER. The sequence that was planned for it was worked out on the storyboard, but was never animated and so the song was not used; the song was included on the “RHYTHM OF THE PRIDE LANDS”, companion CD. The song also seems to have some similarities to the musical number “THAT’S ALL I NEED” from the Direct-To-Video movie, “THE LION KING 1½”.

Now let’s talk a little bit more about the cast:

MACAULAY CULKIN, ELIJAH WOOD and MASON GAMBLE were considered for the voice for “YOUNG SIMBA”.

DUSTIN HOFFMAN turned down the voice of “SCAR”.

CHRISTOPHER LLOYD was offered the voice of “SCAR” but turned it down due to other filming commitments.

JIM CARREY was considered for the voice for “TIMON” but turned down the offer, however he would later co-star with MATHEW BRODERICK in “THE CABLE GUY” [1996].

[BRODERICK]

When he signed onto the film, BRODERICK thought this was an AMERICAN version of the ANIME/MANGA “KIMBA, THE WHITE LION”, which followed a similar plot line but also has many differences that make both franchises there own separate thing.

DANNY GLOVER was considered for the voice of “RAFIKI” but was busy with “ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD” which was released around that same time [1994].

Initially, ROWAN ATKINSON was hesitant about taking the role of “ZAZU” due to his preference for physical and visual COMEDY. But “MR. BEAN” CO-WRITER ROBIN DRISCOLL urged ATKINSON to do it, telling him; “who doesn't want to do DISNEY?” His portrayal of “ZAZU” is considered the best and is one of ATKINSON’S greatest performances.

[ATKINSON]

BRODERICK and LANE would later appear together in “THE PRODUCERS” [2005]. Coincidentally, both films now exist as BROADWAY MUSICALS. “THE LION KING” re-union is completed in a deleted scene from “THE PRODUCERS”, where SABELLA appears as a “DRUNK PATRON” in the empty bar where “BIALYSTOCK” [LANE] and “BLOOM” [BRODERICK] quietly celebrate together.

BRODERICK and LANE only saw each other once during production and that was in a hall. They did their voice work separately.

When the animators were drawing “ADULT SIMBA”, they wanted a little twist for his appearance and personality to be like his voice actor BRODERICK.

VIRGINIA McKENNA, HELEN MIRREN and VANESSA REDGRAVE were considered for the voice of “SARABI”. The role ended up going to T.V. and film star MADGE SINCLAIR [APRIL 28, 1938 – DECEMBER 20, 1995].

[SINCLAIR]

This was the last film for SINCLAIR before her death one year later.

“THE LION KING” [1994] is the second film in which JONES and SINCLAIR perform together as an AFRICAN KING [“MUFASA”] and QUEEN [“SARABI”]. JONES and SINCLAIR were also KING [“JAFFE JOFFER”] and QUEEN [“AOLEON”]of a fictional AFRICAN nation in “COMING TO AMERICA” [1988].

The original intention for 2 of the hyenas was to reunite “CHEECH & CHONG”, but while MARIN accepted to play “BANZAI”, TOMMY CHONG was unavailable. Thus his role was changed into a female HYENA, “SHENZI”, who ended up being portrayed by GOLDBERG. CHONG alone would later have a role in a DISNEY ANIMATED Feature Film 22 years later, called “ZOOTOPIA” [2016]. His character is named “YAX”.

[“CHEECH & CHONG”]

[GOLDBERG]

[The HYENAS, from left to right: “ED”, “SHENZI” and “BANZAI”.]

[“YAX”]

MARIN also voices “TITO” in “OLIVER & COMPANY” and “RAMONE” in the DISNEY/PIXAR franchise “CARS” [2006-PRESENT]

[“TITO”]

[“RAMONE”]

When doing the scene where “MUFASA” dies TAYLOR THOMAS took several takes. After one take one of the DIRECTORS talked to him and mentioned something about his MOM which prompted THOMAS to scream MOM in the next take instead of DAD! TAYLOR THOMAS really was in tears when he recorded his lines for this scene.

Coincidentally, while recording “ADULT SIMBA”S” confession to “RAFIKI” [ROBERT PETER WILLIAMS A.K.A. ROBERT GUILLAUME - NOVEMBER 30, 1927 – OCTOBER 24, 2017] as well as his dad, BRODERICK was also in tears.

IRONS would give up to ten or fifteen takes on a line, which would be reviewed by THE DIRECTORS and EDITOR and chosen from there. According to IRONS in a 2016 BAFTA interview in NEW YORK CITY, the entire creative team met with him for about 6 sessions over the course of a year, at various different studios either in LONDON, or elsewhere, depending on where he happened to be whenever they needed him for another session.

According to an article about the technology used for the film's sound editing in the DECEMBER 1994 issue of “STUDIO SOUND” MAGAZINE, IRONS and ATKINSON did at least one session together in the LONDON-BASED POST-PRODUCTION STUDIO SAUNDERS AND GORDON, which used its recently-installed SSL SCENARIA system for recording. For this session, the studio was linked via ISDN lines to THE DIRECTORS and PRODUCERS in CALIFORNIA, enabling them to conduct the session remotely.

[THE SSL SCENARIA.]

The behind-the-scenes footage for the film reveals that every cast member recorded their roles using a NEUMANN U87 MICROPHONE, with the exception of JONES, who used an RCA KU-3A MICROPHONE to record as “MUFASA”. Because the KU-3A is a big-ribbon microphone that was designed specifically for use in the film industry, it is possible that the filmmakers opted for this model specially for JONES to accentuate his booming voice.

[NEUMANN U87 #28416 [VINTAGE]]

[THE RCA KU-3A A.K.A. “10001”]

When “PUMBAA” challenges the HYENAS in the cave, he demands respect by angrily declaring, “They call me “MISTER PIG”.” This is a nod to SIDNEY POITIER’S FEBRUARY 20, 1927 – JANUARY 6, 2022 statement in “IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT” [1967] when, as “DETECTIVE VIRGIL TIBBS”, he similarly demands respect. “They call me “MR. TIBBS!””

“THE LION KING” was ACTOR GREGORY PECK’S [APRIL 5, 1916 – JUNE 12, 2003] favorite animated film; he also ranked it in his top five all time favorite films.

The GOPHER that pops up after “YOUNG SIMBA’S” pouncing lesson [the song “MORNING REPORT” in the SPECIAL EDITION] was originally going to be a NAKED MOLE RAT, but the ANIMATORS couldn't get him to look right. One of the directors said in the DVD commentary, "We would've lost our G rating!"

Although this did not stop DISNEY from using a NAKED MOLE RAT character later on in the ANIMATED franchise “KIM POSSIBLE” [2002-PRESENT]

[For those who have not seen the show before, his name is “RUFUS”!]

“THE LION KING” is the first animated feature to have an “AUDIO COMMENTARY” on its DVD release.

IRONS was reluctant to lend his voice as “SCAR”, until he saw the animation and fell in love with the character.

IRONS came prepared with cigarettes for his voice recordings. He was smoking in some recordings including during the song “BE PREPARED”. MINKOFF stated that the people involved in the making of the movie had to edit out all of the smoking [so that children would not be motivated to smoke because of it being bad for your health].

Do you know what “NALA’S” MOTHER’S name is?

“NALA’S” MOTHER is named “SARAFINA”. The name is never used in the film; however, it does appear in the credits and on pieces of merchandise based on the film, including the trading cards issued at BURGER KING for a “LION KING”-BASED promotion.

[From left-to-right: “SARAFINA”, “YOUNG SIMBA”, “YOUNG NALA” AND “SARABI”.]

“PUMBAA’S” flatulence is actually SABELLA zerberting on his hand (pressing his mouth on his hand and creating the sound). SABELLA jokingly stated once that he is proud to be the first Disney character to express flatulence.

According to GUILLAUME, “RAFIKI’S” SWAHILI-ACCENTED voice was partially created via a failed attempt at a JAMAICAN accent. Notably, the T.V. show spinoff “THE LION GUARD” [2015-19] marks the first time that GUILLAUME doesn't reprise his role as “RAFIKI”. In this installment of the franchise the MANDRILL is voiced by KHARY PAYTON.

[GUILLAUME]

Did you know that “THE LION KING” is referenced in multiple episodes of the sitcom “HOME IMPROVEMENT” [1991-1999] and that it also shares one of the films LEAD ACTORS?

In one episode, “RANDY TAYLOR” [TAYLOR THOMAS] says that he always expected his DAD [“TIM “THE TOOLMAN” TAYLOR” played by ACTOR/COMEDIAN TIM ALLEN.] to be called a king by everyone while playing with a LION CUB DOLL who resembles “SIMBA”. In a HALLOWEEN episode of the same series, the “TAYLOR” home is greeted by two trick or treaters dressed as “BUZZ LIGHTYEAR” [who is also voiced by ALLEN in the “TOY STORY” franchise - 1995-PRESENT.] and “SIMBA”, respectively. “RANDY” gives one piece of candy to the former and seven pieces of candy to the trick or treater dressed as the latter.

[The main CAST MEMBERS of “HOME IMPROVEMENT”.]

Do you know how many people actually wrote “THE LION KING”?

LINDA WOOLVERTON was the original SCREENWRITER of film. She was virtually exhausted from production, as she wrote scripts and attended story meetings for both this movie and “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” (1991) at the same time. She, moreover, was more invested in her work on “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” than on “THE LION KING”. Early on in the production, 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, BRENDA CHAPMAN and HAHN then rewrote the story across two weeks of meetings with DIRECTORS KIRK WISE and GARY TROUSDALE, who had just finished “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST”. The script also had its title changed from “KING OF THE JUNGLE” to “THE LION KING”, as the setting was not THE JUNGLE but THE SAVANNAH. During the summer of 1992, the team was joined by SCREENWRITER IRENE MECCHI, with another SCREENWRITER, JONATHAN ROBERTS, joining a few months later. MECCHI and ROBERTS took charge of the revision process, fixing unresolved emotional issues in the script and adding comedic moments for “PUMBAA”, “TIMON”, and the HYENAS. RICE worked closely with the writing team, flying to CALIFORNIA at least once a month, as his songs needed to work in the narrative continuity. RICE’S lyrics - which were reworked up to the production's end - were even pinned to the storyboards during development. 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 due to dialog changes. Months before release, THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA officially awarded the SCREENPLAY credits to MECCHI, ROBERTS, and WOOLVERTON. THE WRITERS GUILD ruled that the film's final script utilizes and combines all of the great contributions made by the three WRITERS.

[The films official SCREENPLAY!]

After production was wrapped up from DISNEY, BRODERICK was later considered to play “STAN PODALAK” in “SPACE JAM” [1996] another animated film from WARNER BROS. FEATURE ANIMATION [Now WARNER BROS. PICTURES ANIMATION] and IVAN REITMAN [OCTOBER 27, 1946 – FEBRUARY 12, 2022].

The idea for “THE LION KING” was conceived in late 1988 during a conversation between JEFFREY KATZENBERG, ROY EDWARD DISNEY [JANUARY 10, 1930 – DECEMBER 16, 2009] and PETER SCHNEIDER on a plane to EUROPE to promote “OLIVER & COMPANY”. During the conversation, the topic of a story set in AFRICA came up, and KATZENBERG immediately jumped at the idea. The idea was then developed by WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION’S VICE PRESIDENT FOR CREATIVE AFFAIRS CHARLES FINK. 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 bumpy road in politics, saying about the film, "It is a little bit about myself." In NOVEMBER of that year THOMAS M. DISCH [FEBRUARY 2, 1940 – JULY 4, 2008] [AUTHOR of “THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER” - 1980, book, - 1987, movie] wrote a treatment entitled “KING OF THE KALAHARI”, and afterwards WOOLVERTON spent a year writing drafts of the script, which was titled “KING OF THE BEASTS” and then “KING OF THE JUNGLE”. The original version of the film was very different from the final film. The plot was centered in a battle being between lions and BABOONS with “SCAR” being the leader of the BABOONS, “RAFIKI” being a CHEETAH, and “TIMON” and “PUMBAA” being “SIMBA’S” childhood friends. “SIMBA” would also not leave the kingdom, but become a “lazy, slovenly, horrible character” due to manipulations from “SCAR”, so “SIMBA” could be overthrown after coming of age. 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”. SCHUMACHER likened the script for “KING OF THE JUNGLE” to “an animated NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SPECIAL.

Originally titled “THE KING OF THE JUNGLE”, it was supposed to be about AFRICAN LIONS living in the JUNGLE, until the production team realized that AFRICAN LIONS don't live in the JUNGLE. They wanted to focus on the real-life setting for an AFRICAN LION, though a JUNGLE where “YOUNG SIMBA” meets “TIMON” and “PUMBAA” does appear later on. Interestingly enough, the phrase “KING OF THE JUNGLE” is still used on certain T-shirts sold at THE DISNEY STORE.

[THE DISNEY STORE as it used to physically appear here in THE U.S.!]

[THE DISNEY STORE as it appears now everywhere - except for at DISNEY PARKS - online!]

While loosely based on “HAMLET” the film also borrows elements from the “BIBLE”. “SCAR” killing “MUFASA” is directly taken from “CAIN AND ABEL” as like “SCAR” CAIN killed his brother ABEL. One of the 10 plagues from the “BIBLE” in this case fire and thunderstorms takes place during and after the climax. Just like how GOD banished ADAM and EVE from EDEN “SCAR” exiles “SIMBA” for “causing” “MUFASA’S” death and “SIMBA” seeing the ghost of his FATHER is similar to “JACOB’S LADDER” where JACOB dreamed he visited GOD in HEAVEN and both “MUFASA” and GOD offer words of wisdom.

Thank you for joining me on this “safari”. I hope you enjoyed learning some fun behind the scenes secrets with me. I will catch you guys later! Say it with me now: ROAAARRRR!!!!!