The Lion King

The Lion King

The film's theatrical release poster by John Alvin[1]
Directed by
  • Roger Allers
  • Rob Minkoff
Produced by Don Hahn
Written by
  • Irene Mecchi
  • Jonathan Roberts
  • Linda Woolverton
Starring
Music by Songs:
Elton John
Tim Rice
Lebo M
Score:
Hans Zimmer
Editing by Ivan Bilancio
Studio Walt Disney Feature Animation
Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
Buena Vista Pictures
Release date(s) June 15, 1994 (1994-06-15)[2]
Running time 89 minutes[2]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $45 million[3]
Gross revenue $783,841,776[3]
Followed by The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

The Lion King is a 1994 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. Released to theaters on June 15, 1994 by Walt Disney Pictures,[2] it is the 32nd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics. The story, which was influenced by the Bible stories of Joseph and Moses and the William Shakespeare play Hamlet, takes place in a kingdom of anthropomorphic animals in Africa.[4] The film was the highest grossing animated film of all time until the release of Finding Nemo (a Disney/Pixar computer-animated film). The Lion King still holds the record as the highest grossing traditionally animated film in history[5] and belongs to an era known as the Disney Renaissance.[6]

The Lion King is the highest grossing 2D animated film of all time in the United States,[7] and received positive reviews from critics, who praised the film for its music and story. During its release in 1994, the film grossed more than $783 million worldwide, becoming the most successful film released that year, and it is currently the thirtieth highest-grossing feature film.

A musical film, The Lion King garnered two Academy Awards for its achievement in music and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. Songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with an original score by Hans Zimmer.[8] Disney later produced two related movies: a sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride; and a part prequel-part parallel, The Lion King 1½.

Contents

Plot

The film opens with a gathering of countless animals around Pride Rock in Africa, where Rafiki the mandrill presents the newborn lion cub, Simba, of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi. The only resident of the Pride Lands who is not happy in the least about this is Scar, Mufasa's younger brother, who desires the throne for himself. Simba grows quickly and is taught everything about the Pride Lands, including the neighbouring Outlands, ruled by the ruthless hyenas and forbidden for residents of the Pride Lands. When Scar "accidentally" lets slip that the Outlands consist of an Elephant Graveyard, Simba and his best friend, Nala, outsmart Mufasa's majordomo, Zazu, venture out into the Outlands and stumble across three hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, who promptly try to kill them in the ensuing chase. Mufasa arrives to rescue the cubs in time, having been alerted by Zazu, and teaches Simba an emotional lesson in bravery and valour.

Meanwhile, Scar plots with the hyenas to kill both Mufasa and Simba to take over the Pride Lands. On Scar's orders, the hyenas ignite a stampede of wildebeest in a gorge where Simba is, because Scar told him to stay there. Scar rushes to inform Mufasa, who manages to save Simba but is betrayed and thrown off the cliff by Scar, where he hits the ground with great force, is impaled on some of the wildebeest's horns, and is trampled. Simba finds his father's lifeless corpse in the middle of the gorge. Scar arrives and tricks Simba into thinking it was he was responsible for Mufasa's death. Due to the shame of such an act, he encourages Simba to leave the Pride Lands and never return. Simba immediately turns and runs away, while almost immediately Scar orders the hyenas to follow and kill Simba. A chase follows but Simba manages to escape. In Simba's absence, Scar uses the opportunity to state that both Mufasa and Simba were killed in the stampede and profess himself as king. He takes over the Pride Lands and also allows the hyenas entry to the pride.

Simba, however upon fleeing is found collapsing in the wasteland, by Timon, a meerkat, and Pumbaa, a warthog, who nurse him back to health and take him in, teaching him the ways of their motto, "Hakuna Matata". Years later, once Simba is an adult, he encounters Nala, who was trying to maul Timon and Pumbaa. Nala expresses her delight at discovering Simba alive, and informs him of how Scar's irresponsibility as King of the Pride Lands is going to drive everyone into starvation and eventual death. Still wracked with guilt over supposedly causing his father's death, Simba refuses to return and overthrow Scar, but Rafiki, having tracked Simba down, leads him to the ghost of Mufasa, which reminds Simba who he is and how he must take his rightful place as King of the Pride Lands.

Simba returns with Nala, Timon and Pumbaa. While Timon and Pumbaa distract the hyenas, Simba confronts Scar atop Pride Rock after Scar strikes Sarabi across the face. Scar turns the tables by revealing that Simba caused Mufasa's demise and forcing Simba towards the edge of Pride Rock, where he holds on for dear life. Just before Scar can throw the "traitor" off, he quietly reveals that it was he who murdered Mufasa. In his rage, Simba leaps back up and pins Scar, forcing him to reveal his treachery to the public. A violent fight ensues between the hyenas and lionesses while Simba confronts Scar alone at the top of Pride Rock. Scar begs Simba for mercy, accusing the hyenas of planning the whole thing. Simba prepares to show Scar mercy and exile him, but Scar refuses to give up, and the ensuing fight ends when Simba throws Scar off Pride Rock. He survives the fall, but is immediately mauled to death by the hyenas, who overheard his treacherous accusations.

With Scar gone and the hyenas banished, Pride Rock is eventually restored to its previous majesty under Simba's rule. The film closes with Rafiki presenting the animals with Simba and Nala's newborn cub.

Production

Story development

The production of The Lion King, originally titled King of the Jungle, took place at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Glendale, California, and at the Feature Animation satellite studio at Disney-MGM Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The original treatment, inspired by Hamlet, was written by Thomas M. Disch (author of The Brave Little Toaster), as “King of the Kalahari” in late 1988. Since his treatment was written as work-for-hire, Disch received no credit or royalties.[9]

Roger Allers joined the project as its initial director in October 1991.[10] After six months of story development work, Allers was joined by a co-director, Rob Minkoff. Minkoff joined Allers, producer Don Hahn, and Beauty and the Beast directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale in two days' worth of meetings to retool the story, revising the lead character of Simba and rewriting the second half of the film.[10]

During the summer of 1992, the team was joined by screenwriter Irene Mecchi, with a second 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 comic business for Pumbaa, Timon, and the hyenas.[10]

Animation

Thirteen supervising animators, both in California and Florida, were responsible for establishing the personalities and setting the tone for the film's main characters. The animation leads for the main characters included Mark Henn on young Simba, Ruben A. Aquino on adult Simba, Andreas Deja on Scar, Aaron Blaise on young Nala, Anthony DeRosa on adult Nala, and Tony Fucile on Mufasa.[10] Nearly 20 minutes of the film, including the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" sequence,[11] were animated at the Disney-MGM Studios facility.[10] Ultimately, more than 600 artists, animators and technicians contributed to The Lion King over the course of its production schedule.[10]

The character animators studied real-life animals for reference, as was done for the 1942 Disney film Bambi.[12] Jim Fowler, renowned wildlife expert, visited the studios 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.[10] During pre-production in 1991, several of the lead crew members, including the directors, producer, story supervisor Brenda Chapman, and production designer Chris Sanders, had taken a trip to Hell's Gate National Park in Kenya, in order to study and gain an appreciation of the environment for the film. The Pride Lands are modeled on the national park.[10]

The use of computers helped the filmmakers 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. [13] Five specially trained animators and technicians spent more than two years creating the two-and-a-half minute stampede sequence.[10]

At one time, factions of the Disney Feature Animation staff felt The Lion King was less important than Pocahontas, which was in production at the studio at the same time.[4] Most of the staff preferred to work on Pocahontas, believing it would be the more prestigious and successful of the two.[4] However, the strongly enthusiastic audience reception to an early Lion King film trailer, which consisted solely of the opening sequence with the song "Circle of Life", suggested that the film would be very successful. As it turns out, while both films were commercial successes, The Lion King received more positive feedback and earned larger grosses than Pocahontas did when released a year after Lion King.[14][15][16]

Cast

List of The Lion King characters

Music

Elton John and Tim Rice wrote five original songs for this film, with Elton John performing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" during the end credits. The film's score was composed by Hans Zimmer and supplemented with traditional African music and choir elements arranged by Lebo M.[17]

Songs

Here are the musical numbers in the original theatrical film, listed in the order of their occurrence:

Additionally, 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:

Soundtrack and other albums

The film's original motion picture soundtrack was released on July 13, 1994. It was the fourth best-selling album of the year on the Billboard 200 and the top-selling soundtrack.[20] It is the only soundtrack for an animated film to be Diamond certified (10x platinum).

On February 28, 1995, Disney released an album entitled Rhythm of the Pride Lands, which featured songs and performances inspired by, but not featured in, the film. Focusing on the African influences in the film's original music, most of the tracks were by African composer Lebo M, sung either partially or entirely in various African languages. Several songs included on the album would be used in other The Lion King-related projects, such as the stage musical and the direct-to-video sequels. "He Lives In You" was used as the opening song for The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. "Warthog Rhapsody" was originally intended for the film, but was replaced by "Hakuna Matata". A rearrangement of the song, called "That's All I Need", was used in The Lion King 1½. Rhythm of the Pride Lands was initially issued in a very limited quantity, but there was a 2003 rerelease included in some international versions of The Lion King's special edition soundtrack, with an additional track. It is also available digitally through various music stores. Additionally, The Lion King Expanded Score contains never-before-released instrumental music from Hans Zimmer's original score.[21]

The compilation Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic includes "Circle of Life", "I Just Can't Wait to Be King", "Hakuna Matata", "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?", and "Be Prepared". The compilation Disney's Greatest Hits also includes "Circle of Life", "Hakuna Matata", and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?".

Release

Box office performance

The Lion King became the highest grossing motion picture of 1994 worldwide, and the second highest in the USA (behind Forrest Gump).[22] The film initially made US$312,855,561 domestically, including a short return to theaters in November 1994, and adding in its 2002 IMAX rerelease the domestic total is $328,541,776.[23] The Lion King held the record for the most successful animated feature film until 2003 when it was surpassed by the computer animated Finding Nemo, but it remains the highest grossing hand-drawn animated feature film.[5]

The Lion King box office revenue
Source Gross (USD)  % Total All Time Rank
Domestic $328,541,776[3] 41.9% 18[3]
Foreign $455,300,000[3] 58.1% N/A
Worldwide $783,841,776[3] 100.0% 24[3]

Critical reviews

The Lion King garnered critical acclaim and at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 61 reviews collected, the film has an overall approval rating of 92%, with a weighted average score of 8/10, easily tied with Aladdin for second highest rated Disney's feature film on the era, behind only by Beauty and the Beast, with 93%.[15] Among Rotten Tomatoes's Cream of the Crop, which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs,[24] the film holds an overall approval rating of 100 percent.[25] By comparison, Metacritic, which assigns a normalized 0–100 rating to reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 84 from the 13 reviews it collected.[26]

Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert called the film "a superbly drawn animated feature" and, in his print review wrote, "The saga of Simba, which in its deeply buried origins owes something to Greek tragedy and certainly to Hamlet, is a learning experience as well as an entertainment."[27] However, on the television program Siskel & Ebert the film was praised but received a mixed reaction when compared to previous Disney films. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both gave the film a "Thumbs Up" but Siskel said that it was not as good as earlier films such as Beauty and the Beast and was "a good film, not a great one".[28] Hal Hinson of The Washington Post called it "an impressive, almost daunting achievement" and felt that the film was "spectacular in a manner that has nearly become commonplace with Disney's feature-length animations", but was less enthusiastic toward the end of his review saying, "Shakespearean in tone, epic in scope, it seems more appropriate for grown-ups than for kids. If truth be told, even for adults it is downright strange."[29] Owen Gleiberman, film critic for Entertainment Weekly, praised the film and wrote that it "has the resonance to stand not just as a terrific cartoon but as an emotionally pungent movie".[30] Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers praised the film and felt that it was "a hugely entertaining blend of music, fun and eye-popping thrills, though it doesn't lack for heart".[31] The staff of TV Guide wrote that "The film has some of Disney's most spectacular animation yet—particularly in the wildebeest stampede—and strong vocal performances, especially by skilled Broadway comedian Nathan Lane. However, it suffers from a curiously undeveloped story line."[32] James Berardinelli, film critic for ReelViews, praised the film saying, "With each new animated release, Disney seems to be expanding its already-broad horizons a little more. The Lion King is the most mature (in more than one sense) of these films, and there clearly has been a conscious effort to please adults as much as children. Happily, for those of us who generally stay far away from 'cartoons', they have succeeded."[33] In June 2008, the American Film Institute revealed its "10 Top 10"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. The Lion King was acknowledged as the 4th best film in the animation genre.[34]

Awards and nominations

The Lion King received many award nominations, including the Academy Award for Best Original Score (by Hans Zimmer) and the Golden Globe award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, both of which it won. Most notably, the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by Elton John and Tim Rice 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.

The awards were as follows:

  • Academy Awards[35]
    • Best Original Score (Won)
    • Best Original Song for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (Won)
    • Best Original Song for "Circle of Life" (Nominated)
    • Best Original Song for "Hakuna Matata" (Nominated)
  • Golden Globe Awards[36]
    • Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Won)
    • Best Original Score (Won)
    • Best Original Song for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (Won)
    • Best Original Song for "Circle of Life" (Nominated)
  • Annie Awards[37]
    • Best Animated Feature (Won)
    • Best Achievement for Voice Acting to Jeremy Irons for voicing Scar (Won)
    • Best Individual Achievement for Story Contribution in the Field of Animation (Won)
    • Best Individual Achievement for Artistic Excellence in the Field of Animation (Nominated, lost to The Nightmare Before Christmas.)
  • Saturn Awards[38][39]
    • Best Fantasy Film (Nominated, lost to Forrest Gump.)
    • Best Performance by a Younger Actor to Jonathan Taylor Thomas for voicing young Simba (Nominated, lost to Kirsten Dunst for Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles.)
    • Best DVD Classic Film Release in 2004 (Nominated, lost to The Adventures of Robin Hood.)
  • British Academy Film Awards[40]
    • Award for Best Sound (Nominated, lost to Speed.)
    • Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music (Nominated, lost to Backbeat.)
  • BMI Film & TV Awards[41]
    • BMI Film Music Award for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (Won)
    • Most Performed Song from a Film "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (Won)
  • Grammy Award[42][43]
    • Best Vocal Performance Male to Elton John for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (Won)
    • Song of the Year for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (Nominated, lost to "Streets of Philadelphia" from Philadelphia.)
    • Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (Nominated, lost to "Streets of Philadelphia" from Philadelphia.)
    • Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for "Circle of Life" (Nominated, lost to "Streets of Philadelphia" from Philadelphia.)
    • Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television (Nominated, lost to Schindler's List.)
  • MTV Movie Awards[44]
    • Best Villain for Jeremy Irons (Nominated, lost to Dennis Hopper for Speed.)
    • Best Song From A Movie for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (Nominated, lost to "Big Empty" from The Crow.)
  • Kids' Choice Awards[45]
    • Favorite Movie (Won)

1995 release

The Lion King was first released on VHS and laserdisc in the United States on March 3, 1995, under Disney's "Masterpiece Collection" video series. In addition, Deluxe Editions of both formats were released. The VHS Deluxe Edition included the film, an exclusive lithograph of Rafiki and Simba (in some editions), a commemorative "Circle of Life" epigraph, six concept art lithographs, another tape with the half-hour TV show The Making of The Lion King, and a certificate of authenticity. The CAV laserdisc Deluxe Edition also contained the film, six concept art lithographs and The Making of The Lion King, and added storyboards, character design artwork, concept art, rough animation, and a directors' commentary that the VHS edition did not have, on a total of four double sided disks. The VHS tape quickly became one of the best-selling videotapes of all time: 4.5 million tapes were sold on the first day[46] and ultimately sales totaled more than 30 million[47] before these home video versions went into moratorium in 1997.[48]

2003 Platinum Edition

On October 7, 2003, the film was rereleased on VHS and released on DVD for the first time, titled The Lion King: Platinum Edition, as part of Disney's Platinum Edition line of animated classic DVDs. The DVD release featured two versions of the film on the first disc, a remastered version created for the 2002 IMAX release and an edited version of the IMAX release purporting to be the original 1994 theatrical version.[49] A second disc, with bonus features, was also included in the DVD release. The film's soundtrack was provided both in its original Dolby 5.1 track and in a new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, making this one of the first Disney DVDs so equipped.[50] By means of seamless branching, the film could be viewed either with or without a newly-created scene — a short conversation in the film replaced with a complete song ("The Morning Report"). A Special Collector's Gift Set was also released, containing the DVD set, five exclusive lithographed character portraits (new sketches created and signed by the original character animators), and an introductory book entitled The Journey.[48]

The Platinum Edition of The Lion King was criticized by fans for its false advertising: producer Don Hahn had earlier stated that the film would be in its original 1994 theatrical version, but it was confirmed after release that it was the "digitally enhanced" IMAX version instead, which is slightly different from the original theatrical cut. One of the most noticeable differences is the re-drawn crocodiles in the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" sequence.[49] Despite this criticism, more than two million copies of the Platinum Edition DVD and VHS units were sold on the first day of release.[46] A DVD boxed set of the three The Lion King films (in two-disc Special Edition formats) was released on December 6, 2004. In January 2005, the film, along with the sequels, went back into moratorium,[51] but new and used copies still sell very well.[52]

Future re-release

Disney announced in the Beauty and the Beast: Diamond Edition official site, that The Lion King will be release in a Diamond Edition Bluray/DVD combo pack on Fall 2011.[53]

A 3-D version is also in the works, though no release date has been announced.[54]

Controversies

Story origin

Comparison of Kimba the White Lion (left) and The Lion King on Pride Rock (right)

The Lion King was the first Disney animated feature to be an original story, rather than being based on an already-existing story.[4][10] The filmmakers have said that the story of The Lion King was inspired by the Joseph and Moses stories from the Bible and William Shakespeare's Hamlet.[4] Certain elements of the film, however, bear a resemblance to a famous 1960s Japanese anime television show, Kimba the White Lion.[55] One similarity is the protagonists' names: Kimba and Simba, although the word "simba" means "lion" in Swahili.[56] Many characters in Kimba have an analogue in The Lion King and various individual scenes are nearly identical in composition and camera angle. Matthew Broderick, the voice of Simba, believed initially that he was in fact working on a remake of Kimba, since he was familiar with the Japanese original.[57] Early production artwork on the film's Platinum Edition DVD even includes a white lion.[58] Disney's official stance is that the similarities are all coincidental.[59]

Yoshihiro Shimizu, of Tezuka Productions, which created Kimba the White Lion, has refuted rumours that the studio was paid hush money by Disney but explains that they rejected urges from within the industry to sue because, 'we're a small, weak company. It wouldn't be worth it anyway... Disney's lawyers are among the top twenty in the world!'[60]

Christopher Vogler, in his book The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, described Disney's request that he suggest how to improve the plot of The Lion King by incorporating ideas from Hamlet.[61] It has also been noted that the plot bears some resemblance to the West African Epic of Sundiata.[62]

Alleged subliminal messaging

The supposed "SEX" frame

In one scene of the film's original VHS and LaserDisc releases, it appears as if the word "SEX" might have been embedded into the dust flying in the sky when Simba flops down,[63] which conservative activist Donald Wildmon asserted was a subliminal message intended to promote sexual promiscuity. The film's animators, however, have stated that the letters spell "SFX" (a common abbreviation of "special effects"), and was intended as an innocent "signature" created by the effects animation team.[64] Due to the controversy it had caused, the scene was edited for the film's 2003 DVD and VHS releases, and the dust no longer formed any letters.[65]

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

The use of the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in a scene with Timon and Pumbaa has led to disputes between Disney and the family of South African Solomon Linda, who composed the song (originally titled "Mbube") in 1939. In July 2004, the family filed suit, seeking $1.6 million in royalties from Disney. In February 2006, Linda's heirs reached a legal settlement with Abilene Music, who held the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney for an undisclosed amount of money.[66]

Portrayal of hyenas

A number of Disney studios artists spent two days observing and sketching captive Spotted Hyenas maintained at the Field Station for Behavioural Research in the hills above the University of California's Berkeley campus. Dr. Laurence Frank, and other scientists who had organised the visit, expressed a strong request that the portrayal of the hyenas featured in The Lion King be positive. The artists responded that they would do their best to make the hyenas appear more comical than evil.[67] The resulting portrayal did not impress most hyena biologists: one hyena researcher sued Disney studios for defamation of character,[68] and in conclusion to a spotted hyena fact sheet written for African Geographic in May 2006, Dr. Frank included boycotting The Lion King as a way of helping preserve hyenas in the wild.[69] Hyena researcher Stephen Glickman wrote: "In both Hemingway and The Lion King there is an emphasis on greed, gluttony, and stupidity that is ultimately designed to be comical. This reaches its "pinnacle" when a hyena [Ed] feeds on its own body, as described in The Green Hills of Africa and in the American children's computer game based on the movie."[67]

Condemnation was also launched by film critics and cultural analysts, some of whom saw the portrayals of the hyenas as underlying a low class and that their upholding of cultural stereotypes by sporting African American (Shenzi) and Latin American (Banzai) accents, as opposed to the American and British accents of the main characters, was racist.[70][71][72] Film analyst Matt Roth described the film as a "the spadework for the ugly principles it [Disney] feels it must implant in each new generation."[73]

Sequels and spin-offs

The success of the film led to the development of a franchise that comprises several sequels, spin-offs, video games and other merchandise. Additionally, characters from the film have made appearances in other Disney media such as Disney's House of Mouse or the Kingdom Hearts series of video games.

Impact on popular culture

Because of its popularity, The Lion King has been referenced in a variety of media. For instance, the animated TV series The Simpsons spoofed the film in the episode "'Round Springfield". Toward the end of the episode, the ghost of Mufasa appears in the clouds with Bleeding Gums Murphy (who had died earlier that episode) and Darth Vader, and James Earl Jones (who voiced both Mufasa and Darth Vader) says, "This is CNN. You must avenge my death, Kimba... dah, I mean Simba," a reference to the Lion King/Kimba the White Lion controversy.[74] Simba and Nala's escapade to the elephant graveyard was mentioned in a Season 2 episode of House.

Disney also frequently referenced The Lion King in its own films and shows. For example, in the Disney-released, Pixar-produced 1995 computer animated film Toy Story, the song "Hakuna Matata" can be heard playing in Andy's car during the film's climax.[75] Pumbaa made a cameo in Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996),[76] and Hercules (1997) paid homage to both The Lion King and the Nemean lion: Scar's skin is worn by the title character while he is posing for a painting on a Greek vase.[77]

References

  1. ↑ Stewart, Jocelyn (2008-02-10). "Artist created many famous film posters". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-alvin10feb10,1,5113268.story. Retrieved 2008-02-10. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The Lion King (1994)". Yahoo! Movies. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800216534/info. Retrieved 2009-09-10. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "The Lion King (1994)". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-29. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 2), Origins. [DVD]. Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 1994-06-15. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Highest grossing animated films". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=animation.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-29. 
  6. ↑ "Disney: Notes on the end of the Disney Renaissance". decentfilms.com. http://www.decentfilms.com/sections/articles/quovadisdisney.html. Retrieved 2008-08-26. 
  7. ↑ "The Lion King interview". Archived from the original on 2007-12-31. http://web.archive.org/web/20071231043027/http://www.dvdfile.com/news/special_report/in_the_round/lionking/1.html. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  8. ↑ "The Lion King - 1994 Academy Awards". Boxofficemojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/oscar/movies/?id=lionking.htm. Retrieved 2006-09-17. 
  9. ↑ "Thomas M. Disch’s contract and film treatment". www.jamescumminsbookseller.com. http://www.jamescumminsbookseller.com/news/?p=59. Retrieved 2010-08-29. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 "Lion King Production Notes". Lionking.org. http://www.lionking.org/text/FilmNotes.html. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
  11. ↑ Allers, Roger; Hahn, Don, and Minkoff, Rob (1995). Laserdisc/DVD audio commentary for The Lion King. Walt Disney Home Entertainment
  12. ↑ "Bambi Notes". The Walt Disney Company. http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/masterworks/bambi/index.html. Retrieved 2008-08-11. 
  13. ↑ The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 2), Computer Animation. [DVD]. Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 1994-06-15. 
  14. ↑ "Pocahontas revenue". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=pocahontas.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-11. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Rotten Tomatoes - The Lion King". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lion_king/. Retrieved 2006-09-24. 
  16. ↑ "Rotten Tomatoes - Pocahontas". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1063809-pocahontas/. Retrieved 2006-09-17. 
  17. ↑ The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 1), Music: African Influence. [DVD]. Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 1994-06-15. 
  18. ↑ "AFI's "100 Years, 100 Songs". Classic Movies. http://www.classicmovies.org/articles/afi100songs.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-09. 
  19. ↑ The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 1), "The Making of The Morning Report". [DVD]. Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 1994-06-15. 
  20. ↑ "Year-end 1994 Billboard 200". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=The+Billboard+200&g=Year-end+Albums&year=1994. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
  21. ↑ "Lion King Expanded Score Info". Hans-Zimmer.com. http://www.hans-zimmer.com/fr/disco_detail.php?id=534. Retrieved 2008-07-31. 
  22. ↑ "Top 50 movies of 1994". Archived from the original on 2008-05-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20080326022707/http://movies.go.com/boxoffice?cat=1994. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
  23. ↑ "The Lion King box office". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lionking.htm. Retrieved 2006-07-30. 
  24. ↑ "Rotten Tomatoes FAQ: What is Cream of the Crop". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/pages/faq#creamofthecrop. Retrieved 2008-07-20. 
  25. ↑ "The Lion King: Rotten Tomatoes' Cream of the Crop". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lion_king/?critic=creamcrop. Retrieved 2008-08-13. 
  26. ↑ "The Lion King (1994): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks. http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/lionking?q=lion%20king. Retrieved 2008-08-13. 
  27. ↑ Ebert, Roger (1994-06-24). "The Lion King review". Chicago Sun Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19940624/REVIEWS/406240301/1023. Retrieved 2006-08-31. 
  28. ↑ "The Lion King review". At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper. http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/ebertandroeper/index2.html?sec=1&subsec=1140. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  29. ↑ Hinson, Hal (1994-06-24). "The Lion King review". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/review96/lionkinghin.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-06. 
  30. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (1994-06-24). "The Lion King movie review". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302734~1~~,00.html. Retrieved 2008-08-12. 
  31. ↑ Travers, Peter (1994-07-14). "The Lion King movie review". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947315/review/5947316/the_lion_king. Retrieved 2008-08-13. 
  32. ↑ "The Lion King movie review". tvguide.com. http://movies.tvguide.com/lion-king/review/129956. Retrieved 2008-08-13. 
  33. ↑ Berardinelli, James. "The Lion King review". ReelViews.net. http://www.reelviews.net/php_review_template.php?identifier=39. Retrieved 2008-08-13. 
  34. ↑ "AFI's 10 Top 10". American Film Institute. 2008-06-17. http://www.afi.com/10top10/animation.html. Retrieved 2008-06-18. 
  35. ↑ "The 67th Academy Awards (1994): Nominees and Winners". Oscarguy.com. http://www.oscarguy.com/Oscars/Annual/67th/Oscar.html. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
  36. ↑ "SEARCH - Lion King, The". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/film/25384. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
  37. ↑ "Legacy: 22nd Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1994)". Annie Awards. http://annieawards.org/22ndwinners.html. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
  38. ↑ "Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: 1995". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Academy_of_Science_Fiction_Fantasy_And_Horror_Films_USA/1995. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
  39. ↑ "Past Saturn Awards". Saturnawards.org. http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
  40. ↑ "BAFTA Awards: The Lion King". BAFTA.org. http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?sq=lion+king. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
  41. ↑ "BMI Film & TV Awards: 1995". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/BMI_Film_And_TV_Awards/1995. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
  42. ↑ "Grammy Awards: 1995". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Grammy_Awards/1995. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
  43. ↑ "1994 Grammy Award winners". Pearson PLC. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0150628.html. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
  44. ↑ "MTV Movie Awards: 1995". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/MTV_Movie_Awards/1995. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
  45. ↑ "Kids' Choice Awards, USA: 1995". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Kids_Choice_Awards_USA/1995. Retrieved 2007-08-05. 
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 "The Lion King home video selling figures". ComingSoon.Net. http://comingsoon.net/news.php?id=1818. Retrieved 2006-07-07. 
  47. ↑ ""Lion King" sets new records with DVD release". Ew.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,517818,00.html. Retrieved 2008-08-16. 
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 "TLK on Home Video". Lionking.org. http://www.lionking.org/homevideo.html. Retrieved 2006-09-24. 
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 "The Lion King: Platinum Edition DVD Review (Page 2) which shows the differences between the film presented on the DVD and the original theatrical cut". UltimateDisney.com. http://www.ultimatedisney.com/thelionking2.html. Retrieved 2009-01-24. 
  50. ↑ "The Lion King Special Edition DVD features". The Walt Disney Company. http://disneyvideos.disney.go.com/moviefinder/products/3038703.html#details. Retrieved 2006-09-18. 
  51. ↑ "Out of Print Disney DVDs". UltimateDisney.com. http://www.ultimatedisney.com/OOP.htm. Retrieved 2006-09-24. 
  52. ↑ "Amazon.com DVD Page". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Lion-King-Disney-Special-Platinum/dp/B00003CXB4. Retrieved 2008-08-16. 
  53. ↑ http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/beauty/diamond.html
  54. ↑ "The Lion King To Go 3D". The Film Stage. June 22, 2010. http://thefilmstage.com/2010/06/22/the-lion-king-to-go-3d/. Retrieved June 22, 2010. 
  55. ↑ "Comparison screen-shots of The Lion King and Kimba the White Lion". Kimbawlion.com. http://www.kimbawlion.com/rant2.htm. Retrieved 2006-07-07. 
  56. ↑ As shown in a search for either term at Online Swahili - English Dictionary.
  57. ↑ 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.
  58. ↑ The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 2), Presentation Reel. [DVD]. Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 1994-06-15. 
  59. ↑ Hong, Peter (2002-05-19). "The Lion King/Kimba controversy". Los Angeles Times. pp. L4. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/120586440.html?dids=120586440:120586440&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+19%2C+2002&author=PETER+HONG&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=L.4&desc=Weekend+Escape%3B+Before+Silicon+Valley%2C+There+Was+San+Jose%3B+Seeking+out+history%2C+Asian+and+otherwise%2C+in+California%27s+oldest+city. Retrieved 2008-08-12. 
  60. ↑ Kelts, Roland, Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US. Reprint edn (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008). p.45
  61. ↑ Vogler, Christopher (1998). The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers. 
  62. ↑ "The True Lion King of Africa: The Epic History of Sundiata, King of Old Mali.". Education Resources Information Center. http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED386732&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_accno&accno=ED386732. Retrieved 2008-08-12. 
  63. ↑ "The alleged "SEX" frame in The Lion King". Snopes. http://www.snopes.com/disney/films/lionking.htm. Retrieved 2006-07-01. 
  64. ↑ Hartmann, Caroline (2007-02-01). "What Disney is all about". Michigan Daily. http://www.michigandaily.com/content/what-disney-all-about. Retrieved 2008-08-12. 
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  66. ↑ "Disney settles Lion song dispute". BBC News. 2006-02-16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4721564.stm. Retrieved 2008-08-12. 
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 The spotted hyena from Aristotle to the Lion King: reputation is everything - In the Company of Animals, Social Research, Fall, 1995 by Stephen E. Glickman
  68. ↑ The good,the bad and the hyena by James Mcpherson
  69. ↑ Girl Power, Laurence D. Frank, African Geographic
  70. ↑ Film genre 2000: new critical essays published by The SUNY series, cultural studies in cinema/video
  71. ↑ The Death of Art, by Bhesham R. Sharma, published by the University Press of America, 2006
  72. ↑ The Mouse That Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence, Culture and Education, Henry A. Giroux, Rowman & Littlefield, 2001
  73. ↑ The Lion King: A short history of Disney-fascism by Matt Roth from Jump Cut, no. 40, March 1996, pp. 15-20
  74. ↑ Scott Chernoff (2007-07-24). "I Bent My Wookiee! Celebrating the Star Wars/Simpsons Connection". Lucas Online. http://www.starwars.com/community/news/media/f20070724/index.html. Retrieved 2008-04-22. 
  75. ↑ "Toy Story easter eggs". The Easter Egg Archive. http://www.eeggs.com/items/46803.html. Retrieved 2007-02-10. 
  76. ↑ "Aladdin and the King of Thieves". TV.com. http://www.tv.com/aladdin/aladdin-and-the-king-of-thieves/episode/83700/summary.html. Retrieved 2008-08-05. 
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