Thirty Years Of The Lion King. The Beginning Of The Circle Of Life.

For thirty years, the kingdom of Pride Rock has entertained and amazed audiences young and old with tales of growth, courage, responsibility, and, of course, family. What began as a small idea has become one of Disney’s most recognizable properties worldwide, with multiple films, television shows, video games, and even stage musicals.

The story famously borrows heavily from Shakespeare, specifically from the tragedy Hamlet, but other biblical stories, such as Joseph and Moses, were also very influential.

The story focuses on Simba (Johnathan Taylor Thomas), a lion cub meant to be the next king of the Pride Lands after his father Mufasa’s (James Earl Jones) reign. Mufasa’s brother Scar (Jeremy Irons) wants the throne for himself and stages Mufasa’s death, making Simba believe he was responsible.



Simba runs away and meets Timon (Nathan Jones) and Pummba (Ernie Sabella), a meerkat and warthog who decide to raise Simba and teach him “Hakuna Matata,” which means to forget about his troubled past.

Years go by, and Simba (Matthew Broderick) is now an adult who has forgotten about his past. Only when Sibma meets his old friend Nala (Moira Kelly) is he reminded of his past and told that he must return to become king. Fearing the responsibility, the wise mandrill Rafiki (Robert Guillaume) shows him a vision of his father telling him that he must return and face Scar.



Upon his return, it is revealed that Scar killed Mufasa, which led to a battle between the Lions and Scar’s Hyenas. After Scar is defeated, Simba takes his rightful place as the new ruler of the Pride Lands.

The film was a massive critical and box office hit, becoming Disney’s highest-grossing animated movie until it was surpassed by Frozen in 2013. 

Controversy

The film did, however, draw some controversy over accusations of plagiarism of the Japanese animated series Kimba: The White Lion. This topic has been highly debated amongst the animation community and continues to this day. It was not the first plagiarism accusation (Aladdin vs. The Thief and the Cobbler), and it wouldn’t be the last (Atlantis: The Lost Empire vs. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water).

The film’s success was followed by two direct-to-video sequels: The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride in 1998 and a sidequel, The Lion King 1 1/2, in 2004.

The film also led to two television series. Timone & Pumba, which lasted from 1995 – 1998 with three seasons and 85 episodes; and The Lion Guard, which lasted from 2015 – 2019 with three seasons and 74 episodes. The franchise has since continued with a 2019 CGI remake and an upcoming CGI prequel titled Mufasa: The Lion King. 

For generations, this story of one little lion cub facing his fears and becoming kind has both entertained and inspired those who have watched it. Many of the film’s songs have gone on to become iconic, with the phrase “Hakuna Matta” still being used to this day.

What are your thoughts? Did you see The Lion King in theaters? What did you like most about it? What has stayed with you after seeing it? Let us know.