movie review of lion king

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

‘the lion king’: film review.

THR reviews 'The Lion King': Jon Favreau's photorealistic computer-animated remake of the Disney favorite features a voice cast that includes Donald Glover, Beyonce, James Earl Jones and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Send an Email
• Show additional share options
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Whats App
• Print the Article
• Post a Comment

There has perhaps never been as surefire a hit film as this new version of The Lion King . The original 1994 animated feature was a global smash, the 1997 musical stage adaptation now stands as the third longest-running show in Broadway history and its more than 20 spinoff international productions have grossed more than $8 billion.

The property serves, in other words, as the ideal Disney template, a cash cow not to be messed with. What this means for the new big-screen take on the story, which is entirely animated but to such a realistic degree that it could practically pass as a live-action film, is that it may be the most conservative, least surprising, least risk-taking film of the current century. Nearly a scene-by-scene remake of the original, albeit a half-hour longer, it serves up the expected goods, which will be duly gobbled up by audiences everywhere like the perfectly prepared corporate meal it is.

Release date: Jul 19, 2019

With a property as time-tested as this one and generations who regard the appealing story as a childhood touchstone, it would be foolhardy to rock the boat. Who’s going to object other than curmudgeons and resisters to the advent of Disney taking over the global entertainment universe?

After the initial fascination and moments of enchantment in watching the extraordinarily lifelike animals talking and relating to one another as human beings do, you begin to get used to it to the extent that it’s no longer surprising, which in turn allows the familiarity of it all to begin flooding in. The film’s aesthetic caution and predictability begin to wear down on the entire enterprise in the second half — the original animated Lion King ran 88 minutes, while this one lasts two hours. You can feel the difference.

In a moviegoing environment where originality is shunned and the familiar is embraced like comfort food, this Lion King will rule, just as it always has. The ostensible creative reason for the update is the advance in computer animation, yielding imagery so realistic that the result is called “virtual cinematography,” meaning the animals and dramatic African backdrops indisputably look like the real thing, as if shot on location.

Overseeing this protean effort are the great veteran cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and visual effects supervisors Robert Legato and Adam Valdez, who previously collaborated on Disney’s The Jungle Book. The highest praise one could bestow upon their labors for director Jon Favreau is that all the images look real, which they really do; there’s even one shot with pretend camera glare.

The character animation is similarly spot-on, to the extent that you very quickly accept it as a norm that can be taken for granted; absorption of new technology gets easier by the moment now. Lording over all is the titular royal Mufasa ( James Earl Jones , commanding as ever at 88), who has long kept his malcontent brother, Scar, at bay, and hopes to do so long enough to allow young son Simba (energetically voiced by Donald Glover ) to mature into monarchical status.

As often happens, the villain here is arguably the most interesting figure. Some of this is attributable to the vocal work of Chiwetel Ejiofor , who mixes threat with an equal measure of what sounds like genuine world-weariness. His Scar is an outcast made to look a bit scrawny and more ragged and unkempt than his brawny brother; this is a lion who has lived in defeat and disregard for so long that he suspects he may well be done for. Still, he harbors enough malevolent resentfulness that he’s able to come back to sinister life with the right opportunity.

But so much for multifaceted characterization. There are some beguiling enough moments of playfulness between Simba and the young female Sarabi (Alfre Woodard), as well as pro forma comedy involving Seth Rogen’s warthog Pumbaa and John Oliver’s goofy hornbill Zazu. Still, it soon becomes apparent that Jeff Nathanson’s new screenplay will be following very closely in the footsteps of its predecessor, leaving the remake to function largely as a more physically vivid version of the same story.

The more pronounced realism delivers some scenes with a shade more power, notably the sight of the elephants’ graveyard and Simba’s multiple (too many, actually) encounters with the ever-prowling, teeth-baring hyenas; the new vividness no doubt accounts for the shift from a G to PG rating. There’s a spiffy cover of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” sung by Beyonce (who voices Simba’s childhood friend Nala) and Glover, along with a new Beyonce number, “Spirit.” Perhaps the greatest special effect of all is the luster of the lions’ fur and coats.

But by and large, very few remakes, other than Gus Van Sant’s shot-by-shot reproduction of Psycho , have adhered as closely to their original versions as this one does. Everything here is so safe and tame and carefully calculated as to seem predigested. There’s nary a surprise in the whole two hours.

Related Stories

'the lion king': first reactions from the premiere.

Production company: Fairview Entertainment Distributor: Disney Voice cast: Donald Glover, Seth Rogan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Florence Kasumba, Eric Andre, Keegan-Michael Key, JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Beyonce, James Earl Jones Director: Jon Favreau Screenwriter: Jeff Nathanson, based on The Lion King screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, Linda Woolverton Producers: Jon Favreau, Jeffrey Silver, Karen Gilchrist Executive producers: Tom C. Peitzman, Julie Taymor, Thomas Schumacher Director of photography: Caleb Deschanel Production designer: James Chinlund Editors: Mark Livolsi, Adam Gerstel Music: Hans Zimmer Original songs: Tim Rice, Elton John Visual effects supervisors: Robert Legato, Adam Valdez Casting: Sarah Halley Finn

Rated PG, 118 minutes

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

‘antidote’ review: unnerving doc profiles three anti-putin dissidents, oscar-nominated short ‘red, white and blue’ screenings to raise funds for abortion access, gender justice, idris elba says playing villainous characters can be a “bit of therapy”, julia butters in talks to join disney’s ‘freaky friday 2’, ‘quad gods’ review: hbo’s esports documentary upends one-size-fits-all disability storytelling, ‘a mistake’ review: elizabeth banks gives a tightly wound performance in christine jeffs’ somber medical drama.

The Lion King Review

19 Jul 2019

The Lion King

We must assume that The Lion King is the first Disney animation to contain a fart joke, albeit one aimed over the heads of the younger members of its audience and towards their Baby Boomer parents. There's also a moment when you could swear that our leonine lovers are about to make the two-backed beast, as they no doubt would if this were live action. Before the end of the century something similar will occur; the recent string of Disney animations have not become the biggest successes in movie history without understanding the importance of ensuring that parents don't come along reluctantly.

Here the computer animation that made Aladdin too frenetic and pleased with itself meets the vanished serenity of The Jungle Book (still the one to beat) and gets maximum spectacle out of Africa's landscape and livestock. The wildebeest stampede that kills the hero's father, thereby attracting much criticism in the US, looks like treated film footage rather than the work of human hand, and the drama throughout hits very hard indeed. The Elephants' Graveyard sequence in particular may well have very small children watching through their fingers, although they are never too far from laughing like drains at the antics of Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the flatulent warthog. The sequence where the pair of them break into a Hawaiian dance to distract a whole bunch of hyenas is funny, big time.

The Lion King really scores on the soundtrack, with outstanding characterisations from Jeremy Irons as the evil Scar, wrapping threats round his tongue like long notes on a cello, Rowan Atkinson sardonic and pompous as the courtier bird Zazu and Whoopi Goldberg at the head of a trio of hyenas, 90s descendants of the crows in Dumbo. Elton John and Tim Rice's chart-topping music matches the movie gag for gag, sob for sob, African choirs swelling as the sun rises over the savannah and soupy lurve duets accompanying the canoodlings of the mating pair. This being 1994 you are never far away from the terrifying thwack of a synthesised bass drum, included as much because it's feasible as because it's appropriate. It's that kind of picture.

Related Articles

Movies | 29 04 2024

Movies | 23 01 2022

Movies | 05 07 2016

Movies | 29 09 2020

Movies | 31 07 2019

Movies | 24 06 2019

Movies | 12 06 2019

Screen Rant

The lion king review: disney's remake adds more style than substance.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Dave Bautista & Pom Klementieff’s New Movie Perfectly Reverses Their Guardians Of The Galaxy Roles

9 popular '80s & '90s kids books that have aged poorly, 10 sci-fi thrillers we're still confused about, the lion king is good because the original animated movie was great, though it does feature stunning cgi that disney is clearly excited to show off..

The latest of Disney's live-action reimaginings of films from its animated classics vault isn't actually a live-action movie at all, but the hyper-realistic CGI remake of The Lion King . In recent years, Walt Disney Studios has started taking its most beloved animated movies and translating them to live-action, sometimes making major changes and other times sticking as close to the original as possible. Directed by Jon Favreau, who helmed another CGI-heavy Disney reimagining in 2016's The Jungle Book , The Lion King falls into the latter category of remaining true to the original 1994 animated movie.  The Lion King is good because the original animated movie was great, though it does feature stunning CGI that Disney is clearly excited to show off.

The Lion King follows young lion cub Simba (JD McCrary/Donald Glover) who is raised as prince of the Pride Lands and expected to become king after his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones), with his friend Nala (Shahadi Wright Joseph/Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) as his queen. But Mufasa's brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) plots with the lions' enemies, the hyenas Shenzi (Florence Kasumba), Kamari (Keegan-Michael Key) and Azizi (Eric Andre), to take over the Pride Lands. To execute his coup, Scar kills Mufasa and convinces Simba it was his fault, but the hyenas fail to kill Simba like they're meant to. Instead, Simba runs away and is taken in by Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), and grows up with them far removed from the Pride Lands. However, Simba's past and his responsibilities catch up with him, and he realizes he must return home to make things right.

Directed by Favreau from a script by Jeff Nathanson ( Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ), The Lion King is a fairly strict remake of the original 1994 movie. Because the films were crafted using animation and CGI, the major differences between the two largely account for the styles in which they were created. While the 1994 film used unrealistic, stylized animation, Favreau's Lion King focuses heavily on realistic portrayals of its animal characters, at times to its own detriment. There's only so much a warthog or a meerkat or a lion can physically do; they can't convey emotion the way human faces do, they don't actually speak English and they can't perform wildly extravagant musical numbers. Instead, Favreau and his team supplant animal expressions and mannerisms on the characters - like Timon agitatedly standing up in the manner of real meerkats - making them more real, but causing them all to feel much more flat in the process. The spectacle of the movie stems from the feat of creating hyper-realistic animals, rather than anything the animals actually do.

As a result, the animals of this Lion King are more animal than human, which creates an emotional distance that must be bridged by other aspects of the film, and which largely falls on the shoulders of the voice actors. Because Disney and Favreau assembled an outstanding cast, they help to bring these animal characters to life with a great deal of humanity. McCrary shines as young Simba, embodying the lion cub's arrogance and devastation in equal measure. But with much of the movie focusing on Simba's childhood, it's difficult not to feel as if Disney wasted the voice talents of Glover - and Knowles-Carter (though they do sing "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" together). Eichner, Rogen and John Oliver are well-suited to their roles of Timon, Pumbaa and Zazu, respectively, and they're tasked with much of the updated, more modern comedy in The Lion King , which works well enough. Ejiofor is good, but not particularly memorable as Scar, while Jones again embodies the regal and wise Mufasa with gravitas.

One thing The Lion King has going for it in spades is sheer spectacle in its CGI renderings of the animals. Disney proved they could animate hyper-realistic animals with The Jungle Book , and they take it a step further by constructing the entire cast of The Lion King with incredibly realistic CGI. Certainly, it's worth marveling at just what Disney has accomplished with the film, even if certain scenes come across as overlong sequences of the studio simply showing off. Much of the additional 30 minutes to The Lion King's runtime is CGI spectacle, which may work for those coming to see the movie for that very reason, but comes off as braggadocious to those irritated by these particular sequences slowing down the overall pace of the movie. If viewers are looking for a movie worth splurging on IMAX this summer, The Lion King is undoubtedly it.

Ultimately, The Lion King  is only as good as it is because it's working off the excellent 1994 animated version; the story, much of the script and the majority of the music all come from Disney's previous film. The studio and Favreau put a more realistic spin on the animal characters, but the difference isn't necessarily better. It's simply a different style that has its own advantages, as with the stunning CGI animals, and disadvantages, like the restrictions of reality taking away some of the magic of the premise. Thankfully, the story of The Lion King is good enough to transcend mediums. Still, the retelling is sure to strike an emotional chord with those that grew up watching Disney's animated original, and this latest live-action reimagining seems bound for success thanks to a mixture of nostalgia and spectacle. So while Disney's The Lion King reimagining is a perfectly enjoyable moviegoing experience, it may leave some viewers wanting more (or wanting to watch the animated classic instead).

The Lion King  is now playing in U.S. theaters. It is 118 minutes long and is rated PG for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements.

Key Release Dates

The lion king, our rating:.

• Movie Reviews
• 3 star movies

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Screen-Free Activities for Kids and Teens to Enjoy Over the Summer

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

The lion king (1994), common sense media reviewers.

Musical king-of-the-beasts blockbuster is powerful, scary.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

This isn't an educational film, but it does provid

The Lion King focuses on the idea of family, love,

Simba learns to face his problems and how to be a

There are some seriously scary scenes and bloody f

Flirting between Simba and Nala, who are eventual

While there's no consumerism in the movie itself,

Parents need to know that The Lion King is considered one of Disney's greatest animated musicals, but it does have some scary moments. The most disturbing violence is the death of Simba's father, Mufasa, by a stampede of wildebeests. The bloodthirsty hyenas, who scavenge for food and threaten Simba and his…

Educational Value

This isn't an educational film, but it does provide many lessons about family and responsibility.

Positive Messages

The Lion King focuses on the idea of family, love, and sacrifice. Mufasa's willingness to save Simba exhibits unconditional love. As Simba grows up, he comes to understand that he has a responsibility to his father's kingdom to take his place.

Positive Role Models

Simba learns to face his problems and how to be a good leader. He demonstrates courage, perseverance, and humility. His parents are selfless and loving. Some have remarked that the hyenas' characterization brings some negative stereotypes to mind.

Violence & Scariness

There are some seriously scary scenes and bloody fights between animals. In one harrowing sequence, a father lion is trampled to death by a stampede of wildebeest after saving his cub. That parental death is a pivotal point in the movie, and it haunts the son throughout the second half of the film. Another lion is responsible for his brother's death and later tries to get rid of his nephew. A group of hyenas terrorizes two cubs and eventually acts as a scavenger army. A character is killed by hyenas, but viewers don't see the actual murder.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Flirting between Simba and Nala, who are eventual mates.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

While there's no consumerism in the movie itself, this is one of Disney's biggest blockbusters and has myriad merchandise tie-ins, including video games, toys, straight-to-DVD sequels and even a Broadway musical.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Lion King is considered one of Disney's greatest animated musicals, but it does have some scary moments. The most disturbing violence is the death of Simba's father, Mufasa, by a stampede of wildebeests. The bloodthirsty hyenas, who scavenge for food and threaten Simba and his friends, are also frightening. But despite a few sad sequences and a few evil characters, the overall message is one of hope, love, and family responsibility. Note: The movie was rereleased in 3D in 2011, which added to the intensity of the more frightening scenes. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (87)
• Kids say (198)

Based on 87 parent reviews

This movie is perfect!

What's the story.

THE LION KING is the story of Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a child and Matthew Broderick as an adult), the cub of Mufasa ( James Earl Jones ), the king of the jungle. Simba "just can't wait to be king." But his evil Uncle Scar ( Jeremy Irons ), bitterly jealous of Mufasa, wants to be king, so he arranges for Mufasa to be killed in a stampede and makes Simba think he's responsible. Simba runs away and finds friends in Pumbaa the warthog ( Ernie Sabella ) and Timon the meerkat ( Nathan Lane ), who advise him that the best philosophy is "hakuna matata" (no worries). Simba grows up thinking that he has escaped his past, but his childhood friend Nala finds him and tells him that, under Scar's leadership, the tribe has suffered badly.

Is It Any Good?

One of Disney's biggest hits, this excellent film has echoes of Shakespeare, bringing to mind the plots of both Richard III and Hamlet . The Lion King was not just a movie but a marketing phenomenon: This blockbuster was the highest grossing film of 1994. Of course kids won't know -- or care -- about that; they'll just be enthralled by the memorable songs and great characters.

The scene in which cub Simba's father, Mufasa, is trampled to death, is both sad and genuinely scary. And some of the fights between animals later in the movie can be frightening as well. But the lesson Simba learns -- that you have to stand up to your problems instead of running away from them -- is a solid one.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about facing your problems instead of running from them as Simba does in The Lion King . Why doesn't the idea of "hakuna matata" or "no worries" always work? Can anyone get through life without a little worry and conflict?

Talk about the violence and scariness in this movie . What was the most disturbing part? How would the movie be different without the intense moments? How did music and other factors contribute to the intense scenes?

How do the characters in The Lion King demonstrate courage , perseverance , and humility ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 15, 1994
• On DVD or streaming : October 4, 2011
• Cast : Ernie Sabella , Jeremy Irons , Matthew Broderick , Nathan Lane
• Directors : Rob Minkoff , Roger Allers
• Inclusion Information : Gay actors
• Studio : Walt Disney Pictures
• Genre : Family and Kids
• Topics : Friendship , Music and Sing-Along , Wild Animals
• Character Strengths : Courage , Humility , Perseverance
• Run time : 89 minutes
• MPAA rating : G
• Awards : Academy Award , Golden Globe , Kids' Choice Award
• Last updated : May 4, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Timon & Pumbaa

The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride

The Jungle Book (Animated)

Best disney movies, musicals for kids, related topics.

• Perseverance
• Music and Sing-Along
• Wild Animals

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Hit Man Link to Hit Man
• Am I OK? Link to Am I OK?
• Jim Henson Idea Man Link to Jim Henson Idea Man

New TV Tonight

• Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• Ren Faire: Season 1
• Sweet Tooth: Season 3
• Clipped: Season 1
• Queenie: Season 1
• Mayor of Kingstown: Season 3
• Becoming Karl Lagerfeld: Season 1
• Criminal Minds: Season 17
• Power Book II: Ghost: Season 4
• Erased: WW2's Heroes of Color: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Eric: Season 1
• House of the Dragon: Season 2
• Evil: Season 4
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Tires: Season 1
• Star Wars: Ahsoka: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1 Link to Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Glen Powell Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Star Wars TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024: Your Guide to Movies Back In Theaters

Vote For the Best Movie of 1999 – Round 4

• Trending on RT
• The Acolyte First Reviews
• Vote: 1999 Movie Showdown
• The Watchers

The Lion King Reviews

Regarding this version, it does not contribute anything significant or new. Once again we find ourselves under the problem of current cinema, its lack of originality. In addition, the film has several technical and aesthetic problems.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Jan 27, 2024

It doesn’t matter if the story is identical if we cry all the same. It doesn’t matter if we know what’s coming if we still feel nervous and worried about the characters. The Lion King is one of Disney’s best remakes so far, on par with The Jungle Book.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Jul 24, 2023

The Lion King 2019 is Disney at its worst, a soulless carbon copy of a vastly superior film that exists only to pander to nostalgia and reap financial benefit.

Full Review | May 27, 2023

The Lion King is a beautiful film with stunning effects. The cinematography has visuals that make you feel like you are in Mufasa’s kingdom experiencing the adventures of Simba right alongside him.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Apr 11, 2023

Unfortunately, John Kani (Rafiki) and Alfre Woodard (Simba’s mother Sarabi) are wasted in their underwritten and one-note roles, as is Beyoncé.

Full Review | Dec 7, 2022

There is simply no amount of money Disney can come up with to have the animals emote.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 20, 2022

With Disneys new version of The Lion King, the studio's recent trend of remaking their classic hand-drawn animated films with live actors and photoreal animation has broadened the definition of Uncanny Valley to include animals.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Feb 26, 2022

Like every other Disney remake, theres a disposable feeling to this incarnation. Its content to be a solid cover version of a classic, destined to live in the shadow of its predecessor.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 21, 2022

The thing that I love about this version... is that they really take into consideration our fascination with kitten videos.

Full Review | Sep 29, 2021

It feels like nothing more than an empty ploy to line the pockets of studio execs.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jun 25, 2021

Certain elements of the new version of The Lion King could have worked better, but the filmmakers went above and beyond in creating an immersive world for the characters to exist, and the classic story has never looked better.

Full Review | Feb 18, 2021

A stunning technical achievement that feels like a risk-free exercise in nostalgia that will entertain your eye but likely won't engage your heart.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 31, 2021

If you've been waiting for a beat-for-beat remake since Disney started this whole "reimagining" thing, then no worries! This movie ticks all the boxes.

Full Review | Jan 27, 2021

To its credit, it's frequently difficult to tell when the animals - and especially the backgrounds and environments - aren't actual photography (and none of it is).

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Dec 7, 2020

The 'Lion King' is engaging, cinematically beautiful, and showcases some of the rich cultural traditions of Africa. Though at times, the CGI was a little distracting.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Nov 15, 2020

By working so hard to make it look like a National Geographic film with all the genitals removed, Jon Favreau and his team have created something that, while it is kinda cool to look at, is soulless

Full Review | Oct 19, 2020

While the remake does result in being an admirable visual-effects experiment, it still plays things too safe in terms of story structure.

Full Review | Sep 24, 2020

Can you feel the love tonight? Um, no. Actually I can't.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.0/4.0 | Sep 14, 2020

A beat for beat remake may prove enough from some, but there's no denying that this is simply a less compelling, emotionally vacant re-hash of a story that has been delivered with so much more imagination in the past.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 28, 2020

The Lion King boxes itself in a corner, trapped by the constraints of its realistic and over-indulgent animation in a forgettable, shallow exercise that solely relies on our nostalgia as if that was enough to give it a free pass.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 27, 2020

• Tickets & Showtimes
• Trending on RT

The Lion King First Reviews: Visually Stunning, but Few Surprises

Critics say the remake is an impressive technical achievement with some memorable performances, but it doesn't do anything new or interesting with the familiar material..

TAGGED AS: Walt Disney Pictures

Disney’s new version of The Lion King   is one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year. But will it satisfy expectations? That depends on what fans are looking for in this live action-style reimagining — a faithful adaptation of the classic 1994 animated feature or something relatively new and all its own. And will they consider the photorealistic look of the characters now impressive or problematic?

The first reviews of the movie, which opens on July 19, have begun to appear online, and they’re strikingly divided on whether this is a stunning achievement or an unnecessary failure. Everyone is on board with the technical accomplishment and the effectiveness of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen’s comic relief, but they’re split on whether that’s enough to recommend the redo or not.

Here’s what critics are saying about The Lion King :

Does the new  Lion King stand on its own ?

This new version of  The Lion King  is sure to be a classic in its own right.  It’s already my favorite film of the year. –  Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

It’s hard to say why it’s needed when the first one already exists… as an expansion of the 1994 film,   The Lion King  says and adds little. –  Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

The Lion King  doesn’t want to be compared, but it doesn’t want to stand on its own… it wants to remind you of the 1994 version and make it prettier to watch. –  Kristen Lopez, io9

Everything that works in  The Lion King  does so through the inventions of the former film, in less dazzling fashion. –  Robert Daniels, 812 Film Reviews

The Lion King  is beholden to the original in a way it can never escape…most of the film feels like little more than a cover of the original. –  Brandon Zachary, CBR

Can we appreciate it alongside the original ?

It’s a nice complement to the original that will answer some questions you may have had watching the animated version. –  Kirsten Acuna, Insider

[The filmmakers] have crafted a complementary feature that stands to reinvigorate our love for the timeless, award-winning masterpiece. – Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

The Lion King at least honors what came before, using current animation technology to convince us that we’re watching the real thing. – Peter Debruge, Variety

(Photo by Walt Disney Studios)

Is it just a shot-for-shot remake?

Having just watched the original… I can confirm that many, if not most, of  Lion King  2019’s   shots and lines are replicas of  Lion King  1994, except photorealistic. – Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

This zombified digital clone of the studio’s first original cartoon feature is the Disney equivalent of Gus Van Sant’s Psycho . – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

It is not, a shot for shot remake of the animated classic. It isn’t… watch closely or maybe we’ll wait for someone to prove that is isn’t when the DVD hits. – Jazz Tangcay, Awards Daily

What about the technological craft involved ?

Technically speaking, it’s a marvel. – Bilge Ebiri, Vulture

The Lion King  is a monumental achievement of technological advancement. I’ve never seen anything  quite  like it. – Mike Ryan, Uproxx

If a movie could be judged solely on technique, The Lion King might qualify as a great one. – A.O. Scott, New York Times

There’s a tremendous amount of craft in  The Lion King , and under the direction of Jon Favreau, a complete absence of art. – Matt Patches, Polygon

There’s no sense of wonder in this new  Lion King —its most visible attribute is ambition. – Stephanie Zacharek, Time

[It’s] joyless, artless, and maybe soulless. – A.A. Dowd, AV Club

  Can’t we just turn off our brains and enjoy it ?

It’s a movie for the senses, and definitely a visually appealing film from beginning to end. – Christie Cronan, Raising Whasians

There’s never a moment when a full suspension of disbelief occurs. – Robert Daniels, 812 Film Reviews

Does the photorealism work?

The realism of the animals makes it hard to connect with them as characters, undermining the inspired anthropomorphism that has been the most enduring source of Disney magic. – A.O. Scott, New York Times

The hyperreal visuals sometimes feel like they’re in conflict with the Shakespearean drama and crowd-pleasing songs. – Matt Maytum, Total Film

The animation is so photorealistic   that it’s disconcerting to see these lifelike animals walking (and singing) through the familiar drama. – Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

Has the disadvantage of prohibiting one’s ability to tell the difference between characters; the female lions especially are nearly impossible to tell apart and there are only two of significance. – Kristen Lopez, io9

How are the voice performances?

The voice acting really had to deliver to make sure the audience could connect with these characters. The powerhouse cast did a great job. – Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color

The mismatch between the feeling the actor is conveying in their performance against the impassive countenance of a lion can be jarring. – Meagan Navarro, Consequence of Sound

The vocal performances aren’t equipped to carry the emotional weight that the hand-drawn animation once expressed on its own. – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

And the classic musical numbers?

All the familiar musical numbers… benefit from fresh producing by Pharrell Williams with African vocal and choir arrangements produced by Lebo M. – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

All of the songs are pretty great in the remake except for one. The new version of ‘Be Prepared’ is a complete misfire. – Kirsten Acuna, Insider

I was underwhelmed with the ‘Be Prepared’ redo. – Christie Cronan, Raising Whasians

2019’s version, shackled by its realism, ditches almost anything resembling choreography in favor of having animals do what animals do, which is mostly just run around. – Joshua Rivera, GQ

What about the new ones?

Don’t be surprised to see “Spirit” become a strong contender for Best Original Song. – Jazz Tangcay, Awards Daily

Beyoncé’s new song for the film, “Spirit” is amazing. – Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color

That original track by Beyoncé feels like a welcome addition rather than an intrusive one. – Angie Han, Mashable

Beyoncé contributes a largely unnecessary, but exhilarating new single. – Peter Debruge, Variety

What else does the movie get right?

We have more Nala than ever, and her expanded role opens up an enormous range of emotional depth. – Jazz Tangcay, Awards Daily

Whether ad-libbed or written into Jeff Nathanson’s otherwise unadventurous script, the new dialogue between Timon and Pumbaa is the film’s only welcome new addition. – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

The techniques available in photo-realistic or live-action allow to expand on stories that were limited by the animation of its time. – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

Let’s talk about Beyoncé…

I was impressed with Beyoncé’s voice acting. She was able to bring the same energy as the young Nala, while still bringing her own her flavor to the older version. – Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color

She brings soul and depth to Nala. – Angie Han, Mashable

Pop goddess Beyoncé Knowles-Carter lends still more depth, conveying aspects of bravery and independence in Nala’s personality that weren’t there before. – Peter Debruge, Variety

Knowles-Carter proves more of an asset in the singing stakes (providing a new original song) than the dramatic. – Matt Maytum, Total Film

How are Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as Timon and Pumbaa?

Where the other actors are left to say nearly all the original film’s dialogue, Eichner and Rogen just seem to be naturally riffing off each other, to hilarious effect. – Kristen Lopez, io9

When the emotional beats of the narrative don’t pack quite the same punch, the effortless charm of Eichner and Rogen make for a welcome surprise. – Meagan Navarro, Consequence of Sound

Rogen and Eichner worked so well with one another, it was like they were born to play these roles. – Dorian Parks, Geeks of Color

Billy Eichner’s Timon is transcendent. – Matt Patches, Polygon

Who else stands out?

It’s Florence Kasumba as hyena pack leader Shenzi who earns this film’s MVP title. Her Eartha Kitt-like ferocity makes for a magnetic and intimidating presence through the power of her vocal timbre. – Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

The surprise MVP may be Florence Kasumba as the hyena pack leader Shenzi…this new version of the character is threatening and instantly memorable. – Brandon Zachary, CBR

Ejiofor is a wonderfully menacing Scar, with a patois of frustrated condescension that’s a welcome counterpoint to the straightforward reverence of the other lion actors. – William Bibbiani, The Wrap

Should Disney be worried?

People are going to love this film. – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

It serves up the expected goods, which will be duly gobbled up by audiences everywhere like the perfectly prepared corporate meal it is. – Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter

Audiences are likely to eat it up. And that’s the circle of life. – Rafer Guzman, Newsday

The Lion King   opens in theaters July 19, 2019. 

The Lion King (2019) 52%

Like this? Subscribe to our newsletter and get more features, news, and guides in your inbox every week.

Related News

All Upcoming Disney Movies: New Disney Live-Action, Animation, Pixar, Marvel, 20th Century, And Searchlight

The 50 Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time: Your Top Box Office Earners Ever Worldwide

All 53 Billion-Dollar Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer

House of the Dragon : Season 2 First Reviews: Gorgeous and Expertly Crafted, with Epic Dragon Fights

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

The Acolyte First Reviews: A Familiar but New Vision of Star Wars , Packed with Stunning Action

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

Glen Powell Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

June 7, 2024

Star Wars TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

Netflix’s 100 Best Movies Right Now (June 2024)

Vote For the Best Movie of 1999 – Round 4

Top Headlines

• Glen Powell Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
• Star Wars TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer –
• Netflix’s 100 Best Movies Right Now (June 2024) –
• The Bad Boys Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
• All 73 Disney Animated Movies Ranked –
• 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming –

'Return to Pride Rock': Disney Announces The Lion King's Return to Theaters for 30th Anniversary

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Disney fans will have an opportunity to catch The Lion King on the big screen this summer. The animated classic is returning to theaters in honor of its 30th anniversary.

On social media, Disney officially announced the theatrical return of The Lion King . The movie will be screening in theaters again starting on July 12, 2024. Also revealed was a new poster created to promote the release, featuring the animated versions of Simba, Mufasa, Nala, Rafiki, Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa, along with the villains, Scar, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. The caption noted, " Return to Pride Rock this summer. Celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Lion King and experience it in theaters beginning July 12 ."

Disney Jr.'s Ariel Animated Series Releases New Teaser and Sets Premiere Date

The Little Mermaid is a very valuable IP for Disney, and it will also get a Junior version soon.

The animated movie was released on June 15, 1994. It tells the story of a lion cub and heir to the throne who runs away after his uncle, Scar, murders his father, Mufasa. After growing up, Simba returns to Pride Rock to reclaim his homeland from Scar with the help of some friends. The star-studded voice cast of the animated movie included names like Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Rowan Atkinson, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cheech Marin.

The Lion King Was Remade by Disney

Disney would later reimagine The Lion King with hyperrealistic animation intended to look more like real-life animals. This was part of a trend that saw the House of Mouse remaking a variety of classic animated films. While Disney remakes have been often criticized on social media, the 2019 Lion King movie was undoubtedly a huge success , earning more than $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office. It even scored a nod at the Academy Awards, garnering a nomination for Best Visual Effects. That led to a prequel film getting put into development.

This '90s Animated Disney Film Has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes But Flopped at the Box Office

Disney movies in the '90s were a driving force during the company's renaissance era, but not all movies released at this time were successes.

The prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King , will hit theaters in December, several months after the return of The Lion King this summer. While the 2019 remake fell back on the 1994 film for inspiration, Mufasa: The Lion King is treading new waters. It explores the history between Mufasa and Scar , chronicling how the former came to become the titular ruler. Directed by Barry Jenkins, it has a strong cast of its own, including Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Mads Mikkelsen, Donald Glover, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, and Beyoncé.

The Lion King returns to theaters on July 12, 2024.

Source: Disney

The Lion King (1994)

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, kingdom of the planet of the apes.

Now streaming on:

When Rupert Wyatt's 2011 prequel " Rise of the Planet of the Apes " revived a five-decade-old franchise—one that spanned books, films, TV series, and comics since the '60s—it did so with a refreshing commitment to a powerful, timeless story: simple but not simple-minded, deeply emotional but far from corny.

Portrayed via groundbreaking performance capture technology by Andy Serkis (delivering the kind of actorly nuance that shouldn’t have been overlooked by The Academy), the film’s Ape protagonist Caesar has led that story through the two sequels, both of them elegantly directed by Matt Reeves —2014’s “ Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ” and 2017’s “ War for the Planet of the Apes .” Raised by James Franco ’s caring human hands in the first film, Caesar quickly broke through the classist and discriminatory human world’s self-destructive greed in the trilogy and claimed his deserving place as the leader of his kind, while a manmade virus made Apes smarter, and robbed humans of their intelligence and speech abilities, nearly eradicating mankind.

As a whole, the trilogy became perhaps the finest franchise of this century, standing tall against the loud, bloated mega-verses and unexpectedly reminding us what we want from big-budget, sequel-minded Hollywood: something thoughtful, entertaining and insightful about who we are and aspire to be. The new film, “ The Maze Runner ” director Wes Ball ’s brilliant “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” walks securely in the footsteps of this recent legacy, wearing the Caesar-centric films’ values like fairness, loyalty and communal solidarity on its sleeve with pride.

Like its predecessors, Ball’s sequel knows these principles don’t belong to humans exclusively—not in his highly imaginative sci-fi adventure, not in the real world where the animal kingdom lives by its own set of rules and ethics. And along with his screenwriter Josh Friedman (of the wonderful “ Avatar: The Way of Water ,” with which you will notice plenty of visual and thematic parallels here), Ball confidently puts forth a film that is exciting and visually articulate in its action setpieces as it is thoughtfully coherent in its plotting. In “Kingdom,” there is not a single wasted idea or scene that feels randomly introduced without a soundly rewarding payoff that deepens and completes story. In other words, here’s a film—well, a franchise—where you see smart writers and filmmakers at work towards bringing things full circle, not meeting rooms dedicated to soulless fan-servicing.

The tale of “Kingdom” is set generations after the events of the “ War ,” after the time of Caesar. Young chimpanzees Noa ( Owen Teague ), Anaya ( Travis Jeffery ), and Soona ( Lydia Peckham ) of the Eagle Clan—all also portrayed via performance capture—climb massive heights at the start of the film so that Noa can find an eagle egg of his own per his clan’s rituals and bond with the majestic bird over the years like the elderly of his world. After a beautifully shot, eventful escapade nearly costing him his life, the fearless Noa manages to claim his egg from a nest. 

But when a mysterious human— Freya Allan ’s feral and mercurial Mae—who is tailing him accidentally breaks it, Noa sets off to find a new one, unintentionally making his peaceful home base a target of the villainous masked apes led by Proximus Caesar ( Kevin Durand ). Twisting Caesar’s dignified teachings and wise words like “Apes Together Strong” and building an army to one day possess the secrets to the technology humans have left behind generations ago, Proximus destroys Noa’s village, kills his father, and hunts down Mae in his quest. Throughout these nail-biter cat-and-mouse sequences, immersive cinematographer Gyula Pados ’ camerawork is impressive and spine-tinglingly exciting, crafting large-scaled action that is heart-poundingly tense, and more logically constructed than what we often see these days.

After a lovely interlude when Noa meets a lonesome orangutan and learns about the real Caesar as a strong, moral, and compassionate leader, the young ape and Mae find themselves in Proximus’ captivity along with other enslaved members of the Eagle Clan, including Noa’s aforementioned buddies. At a windswept and ocean-battered base next to a locked vault that humans have evacuated, there is also William H. Macy ’s Trevathan, an intelligent, Vonnegut-reading human tasked to teach Proximus everything he knows about the human ways. Daniel T. Dorrance ’s production design truly sings in these segments with the level of detail draped across the “ Waterworld ”-like ape settlement and the vault, once we finally get inside (albeit, perhaps a bit conveniently).

Gradually and throughout a stunning third act where the “Kingdom” unleashes some truly stunning “The Way of Water”-style visuals, the film plants the seeds of even further chapters to come, renewing its thematic queries around whether inter-species peace could ever be achieved. But perhaps more importantly, the pronouncedly anti-gun and anti-violence “Kingdom” explores the concerns and catastrophes of the modern world smartly and thoughtfully within its construct. Are there times that necessitate the abandonment of pacificism? (There is especially one shocking scene involving Mae that ponders this question that a lesser toothless film would be too afraid to ask.) Are we learning the right lessons from our past, if we’re learning anything at all? Why the hell can’t we all get along?

To be clear, “Kingdom” doesn’t have the answers. But you can bet your bottom dollar that this rare, deeply cinematic Hollywood franchise won’t stop digging until we get a little closer to knowing.

Tomris Laffly

Tomris Laffly is a freelance film writer and critic based in New York. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC), she regularly contributes to  RogerEbert.com , Variety and Time Out New York, with bylines in Filmmaker Magazine, Film Journal International, Vulture, The Playlist and The Wrap, among other outlets.

Now playing

Jim Henson Idea Man

Peter sobczynski.

Brian Tallerico

The Contestant

Monica castillo.

Young Woman and the Sea

Christy lemire.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2

Sheila o'malley, film credits.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Rated PG-13

145 minutes

Owen Teague as Noa

Freya Allan as Nova / Mae

Kevin Durand as Proximus Caesar

Peter Macon as Raka

William H. Macy as Trevathan

• Josh Friedman

Latest blog posts

The Language of Horror: Ishana Night Shyamalan on The Watchers

Everybody Wants Some!! Told Us Everything We Needed to Know About Glen Powell

Cannes 2024 Video #9: Festival Wrapup

The Future of the Movies, Part 3

North West's performance as Simba in 'The Lion King' concert sparks 'nepotism' backlash

North West recently took the stage for a performance in a "Lion King " anniversary concert, but the internet isn't roaring with applause.

The young media personality, daughter of Kim Kardashian and Ye (formerly Kanye West), made her Hollywood Bowl debut on Friday and Saturday with her performance as Simba in "Disney's The Lion King 30th Anniversary – A Live-to-Film Concert Event," which featured live performances of the film's songs from cast members of the 1994 original, 2019 remake and Broadway musical.

After being introduced by Jason Weaver, who sang as Simba in 1994's "The Lion King," West delivered a spirited performance of "I Just Can't Wait to be King." The 10-year-old, decked out in a Simba-inspired zip-up hoodie and fuzzy headpiece by ERL , excitedly sang and danced surrounded by animal dancers, according to footage of the performance shared online.

The star-studded concert lineup also featured performances by Weaver, Billy Eichner , Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Heather Headley and Jennifer Hudson .

On social media, West's performance drew criticism, with some alleging that the young Kardashian was cast due to the celebrity status of her parents.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

'Elementary School Dropout': North West opens up about upcoming debut album

North West's casting in 'Lion King' concert criticized on social media

Critics on social media blasted West's casting in the "Lion King" concert as an instance of nepotism in the entertainment industry.

"North West would probably be great as the lead in a high school production of 'The Lion King' but for a 30th anniversary concert it's a bit embarrassing," X user @NomadicalKing wrote. "The nepotism was clear, and you could see and hear the lack of rehearsal. Shame on the parents… this was more for them than her."

"The whole North West/Lion King situation just reminds me of the real world (and) how interviews for a job/opportunity can go," @TsukiiLyte wrote on X. "It’s never WHAT you can do or how perfect you think you’re qualified but rather WHO you know. We’ve all seen it. This is no different."

One X user said West's casting "ruined (the) integrity" of the Disney classic.

"Hundreds of talented kids…worked to get opportunities like this," the user wrote, such as "kids playing Simba/Nala in 'The Lion King' on Broadway (who) left NO CRUMBS, but instead, they went (with) nepotism."

"I’m all for nepo babies getting opportunities," X user @littlemsfancy_ wrote. "But a hardworking theater kid deserved that role. She even wore a hoodie (and) slippers. 😒"

Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox

'Lion King' star Jason Weaver praises North West

In an Instagram post Saturday, Weaver said it was "an honor" to perform alongside West, a "young superstar in the making."

"I’m so PROUD you, North!! You’re doing a such PHENOMENAL job in this show!" Weaver wrote alongside a photo of the two. "I can’t wait for people to see your performance of ‘I Just Can’t Wait To Be King’ when ‘The Lion King 30th Anniversary Celebration’ eventually starts streaming on @disneyplus!!"

He added: "You’re a true professional, and I wish you nothing but the best as you continue your journey towards GREATNESS!!"

Contributing: Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s Daughter North West to Sing ‘I Just Can’t Wait to Be King’ at ‘Lion King’ Concert (EXCLUSIVE)

Move over, Kanye West.

The rapper and Kim Kardashian’s daughter North West will make her Hollywood Bowl singing debut Friday at the first of the two-night “The Lion King” concert event . She will perform “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King.”

As previously reported , West will join “Lion King” veterans Nathan Lane, Billy Eichner, Jeremy Irons, Ernie Sabella, Heather Headley, Lebo M and Jason Weaver as well as EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson.

Popular on Variety

Related stories, summer movie meltdown math: years of box office data reveal discouraging trends, emmy's posthumous nominations could include chance perdomo, richard lewis and more.

The shows will be filmed for later broadcast as “ The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl” on Disney+.

The celebration is presented by Disney Concerts, Fulwell 73 Productions, AMP Worldwide and Live Nation-Hewitt Silva. See tickets here .

The 1994 film was followed by the Tony-winning adaptation in 1998. A 2019 live-action movie starred Beyoncé, Donald Glover, Lane, Eichner and Alfre Woodard. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” a live-action prequel directed by Barry Jenkins will be in theaters in December. Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter makes her feature film debut playing Kiara, the daughter of Nala (Beyoncé) and Simba (Donald Glover).

Since the 1994 debut of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Oscar-winning original global phenomenon, the story of “The Lion King” has dazzled audiences around the world, including with the record-breaking, Tony Award-winning stage musical (1998), the 2019 live-action box office blockbuster, animated series and sequels, as well as long-running successful shows in the Disney Parks. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” directed by Barry Jenkins, will be in theaters this December 2024.

Variety spoke to Eichner on Wednesday just after the first rehearsal for the Hollywood Bowl event . “All of the producers have flown over from London,” he said. “We’re all finally in person together with the orchestra and the conductor and choreographer Jamal Sims and so many dancers — so many dancers! I feel like I’m on Madonna’s Blond Ambition tour.”

More from Variety

Warner bros. discovery’s nba hopes may hinge on elusive ‘fourth package’ of games, 2024 emmy nominations need to bless the creator economy’s best, warner bros. discovery’s zaslav sees m&a ‘opportunities’ in next 2-3 years: ‘there are a lot of players that are losing a lot of money’, how to watch the 2024 nba finals online with sling, how generative ai has entered concept art creation — and why it’s a slippery slope, nba finals basketball games to screen live on imax in hong kong, taiwan, more from our brands, harvey weinstein files to appeal los angeles rape conviction, this revamped robert byrd-designed home in l.a. can be yours for $3.5 million, ua’s plank has four years to double stock price—and $325m to gain, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, 9-1-1: lone star shocker: sierra mcclain leaving as final season rumors swirl, verify it's you, please log in.

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Lion King star reveals iconic song was almost completely different

One love song nearly had an alternative tone.

One of the animated classic's most well-known songs remains 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight', which soundtracks the moment that Simba and Nala begin to grow closer after being reunited as adults.

The song was mostly performed by Simba, Nala and some off-screen singers, with Timon (Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernest Sabella) both opening and closing the song.

Related: Disney confirms The Lion King prequel casting for Mufasa

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly , Lane revealed that the comedic duo were originally due to sing the entire song, but John changed his mind after wanting a more serious tone for the love song.

"Originally, we sang the whole thing," recalled Lane. "Elton was mortified that the warthog and the meerkat were singing it. He said, 'The reason I wrote the score was because I wanted to have a Disney love song. I didn't want it to be sung by the rat and the pig.'

"We did [record] a version. We sang the whole thing in our character voices. It wasn't like we were going to do our legit Broadway version. We were doing two very character-type voices. It's hard to do that and be romantic. Elton was right."

Lane also revealed that Timon and Pumbaa weren’t even conceived when he and Sabella first auditioned, with the characters only being written after producers were impressed by the duo's vocal talents during an audition for the hyena roles.

Related: Why Beyoncé's daughter was cast in Lion King prequel

"They said, 'You're doing Guys and Dolls , and that's the right energy for these two characters," explained Lane. "They're Damon Runyon-esque characters. So, Timon became a Brooklyn Jewish meerkat.

"And Ernie very cleverly did this vocal thing, which was a combination of two actors - Michael Gazzo and Wallace Beery. In the old days of vaudeville, there was a lot of dialect comedy, but now we're not allowed to do that. But in animation, you can get away with it."

The Lion King saga will have a new entry later this year, with Moonlight and The Underground Railroad director Barry Jenkins helming Mufasa: The Lion King , a prequel and sequel to the 2019 live-action remake of the original film.

Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled to be released on December 20.

June 2024 gift ideas and deals

Amazon Music Unlimited – 30-day free trial

Marquee TV streaming service - 3 months for 99p

Playstation Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Collector's Edition (PS5)

Digital Spy Holidays - trips with TV experts

Buy Zendaya's 'I Told Ya' Challengers t-shirt

Audible, 50% off for 4 months

Watch the Fallout TV show for free

Buy Alison Hammond's outfits

Apple TV+ 7-day free trial

Sign up for Disney+

Buy Cat Deeley's This Morning outfits

Shop Sky TV, broadband and mobile

Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.  

.css-15yqwdi:before{top:0;width:100%;height:0.25rem;content:'';position:absolute;background-image:linear-gradient(to right,#51B3E0,#51B3E0 2.5rem,#E5ADAE 2.5rem,#E5ADAE 5rem,#E5E54F 5rem,#E5E54F 7.5rem,black 7.5rem,black);} The Lion King

Why Beyoncé’s daughter was cast in Lion King film

Watch the first trailer for Lion King prequel

Lion King prequel, Snow White confirmed for 2024

Willy Wonka prequel movie adds The Lion King star

The Lion King prequel casting for Mufasa confirmed

Disney confirms Lion King prequel and Sister Act 3

The Lion King 2 – everything you need to know

Lion King getting sequel from Moonlight director

Disney's Lion King and Dumbo Blu-rays on sale

Lion King remake not up for Best Animation Oscar

Elton John wasn't a fan of The Lion King remake

• Cast & crew

Mufasa: The Lion King

Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored. Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored. Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored.

• Barry Jenkins
• Linda Woolverton
• Irene Mecchi
• Jonathan Roberts
• Aaron Pierre
• Kelvin Harrison Jr.
• 2 Critic reviews
• 1 nomination

• Young Mufasa
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Keith David previously appeared alongside Matthew Broderick (voice of Simba in the 1994 original) in episodes of Adventure Time (2010) and Rick and Morty (2013) on separate occasions, the former of which also stars Donald Glover (voice of Simba in live action iterations of the character).

Rafiki : [from trailer] This story begins far beyond the mountains and the shadows. On the other side of the light, a lion was born without a drop of nobility in his blood. A lion who change our lives forever. The earth will shake, destiny awaits you.

• Connections Featured in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The Sequel of Life (2020)
• When will Mufasa: The Lion King be released? Powered by Alexa
• December 20, 2024 (United States)
• United States
• Vua Sư Tử: Mufasa
• South Africa
• The Walt Disney Company
• Walt Disney Pictures
• Walt Disney Studios
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Dolby Atmos
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• IMAX 6-Track
• D-Cinema 96kHz 7.1
• 12-Track Digital Sound
• Dolby Digital
• D-Cinema 96kHz Dolby Surround 7.1

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

More From Forbes

‘godzilla minus one’ makes a huge debut on netflix’s top 10 movie list.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Godzilla Minus One

Netflix’s acquisitions of films it airs on the service can be a bit hit or miss, but they really got it right by landing Godzilla Minus One, the Japanese monster film that serves as a significant contrast to the American blockbusters featuring CGI slugfests between the King of Monsters, Kong and a bunch of other creatures.

I am happy to report that Godzilla Minus One has already ascended to #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 movie list as word of mouth has spread and the film has been recommended by loads of people who have seen it to others that haven’t.

Godzilla Minus One unseated Atlas, the expensive but terrible JLo sci-fi film that has been at the top of the list for a while now. Colors of Evil: Red, a Polish thriller, is at #2 and that movie has been doing quite well. It’s an interesting situation as Colors of Evil doesn’t even have enough ratings on Rotten Tomatoes to be given a score, and under 50 audience ratings. And yet it’s the second most-watched movie in the country right now. Bizarre.

I am wondering if Godzilla Minus One will be able to hold off another new addition to the list, The LEGO Movie, which Netflix also recently just picked up, and is no doubt going to be popular with families. There’s also a new Seth MacFarlane western, A Million Ways to Die in the West, which I have never heard of, probably because it’s from 2014. The rest of the list has entries like Detective Pikachu, Shrek, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and my favorite, Madame Web, which is hanging on at #9.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

I am impressed this many people have taken the advice to watch Godzilla Minus One, which is Japanese (you can dub it) and it is far from a traditional modern monster movie, going back to the days where Godzilla was a WWII metaphor. It’s an incredibly human story and portrays Godzilla as the murderous monster he once was, rather than the protective hero he has become in the modern films. You will remember what it’s like to fear a giant nuclear lizard again. And you will probably cry during the course of the film. I’m not kidding, things really do get that emotional.

Hopefully this continues to find more and more viewers, and if you’ve seen it yourself, keep recommending it to others.

Follow me on Twitter , Threads , YouTube , and Instagram .

Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy .

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.