The Lion Kingone of the most beloved classics of disney, is not only famous for its moving story and memorable songs, but also for the many fascinating secrets behind its production. The film debuted on June 15, 1994 in the USA and it quickly became a critical and box office success. The making of this animated film was full of interesting anecdotes that not everyone knows about, and here are the 14 most surprising and detailed ones about the film, which reveal what really happened behind the scenes during its development.
The film was initially going to be called “The king of the jungle”, until those involved in the project realized that lions do not live in the jungle. This error led to changing the title to The Lion Kingand they focused the story on the lions’ natural habitat, the African savannahs.
At the start of production, The Lion King and Pocahontas were developed simultaneously. Many at Disney believed that Pocahontas would be the more prestigious and successful of the two productions, leading many of the studio’s top animators to choose to work on it rather than The Lion King. However, the final result showed a different reality, as The Lion King became a great box office and critical success.
One of the most beloved characters in the movie is Pumbaathe wild boar. With the voice of Ernie Sabella, Pumbaa has the distinction of being the first Disney character to have gas on screen. This inclusion added a touch of lighthearted humor to the film, which was very well received by audiences.
Although there are clear influences of Hamlet by William Shakespeare In The Lion King, the film was notable for being the first Disney animated film not based on a book or fairy tale. This originality allowed him to tell a unique and emotional story, which resonated deeply with audiences of all ages.
Initially, Sean Connery was the first choice to provide the voice of Mufasa. However, the role ultimately fell to James Earl Jones, whose deep, powerful voice added great emotional weight to the character. This choice was crucial to the reception of the character, who became an iconic figure in Disney history.
a song called “To Be King” was originally written for Mufasa to sing. However, everyone realized that James Earl Jones could not be performed due to tonality and style, and it was eventually removed from the film’s soundtrack. This adjustment allowed the film’s music to better suit the vocal abilities of the cast.
Playing Mufasa and Sarabi meant a reunion for James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair. Both actors had previously worked together playing the King Jaffe Joffer Yet the Queen Aoleon in the film Coming to America. This coincidence brought an additional level of chemistry and familiarity to his performances in The Lion King.
In the original script, Scar was not related to Mufasa. Only later did the producers decide that the family element would make the story more powerful and made the change. However, by this time, the character’s appearance had already been developed, resulting in the two brothers having little family resemblance. This change added a significant emotional layer to the plot, making the rivalry between the characters more intense.
Although it’s hard to imagine The Lion King without the musical contributions of Elton Johnthe lyricist Tim Rice first contacted ABBA to compose the film’s music when his collaborator Aladdin, Alan MenkenI was not available. Benny Andersson ABBA was involved in the musical Kristina Fran Duvemala at the time, which limited his availability and opened the door for John.
Interestingly, there is not a single recording of an actual lion’s roar used in the film. The producers wanted specific roars for each lion, which led the actor Frank Welker to provide all the roaring sounds. This decision helped give each character a unique and recognizable auditory identity.
The song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” It was originally intended to be sung comically by Rudder (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa. However, Elton John and Tim Rice They heard about the producers’ plans and wanted to make sure the song kept its romantic tone and intervened. This decision turned out to be the right one, as the song became one of the most iconic songs in the film.
Despite the controversy and Disney’s initial belief that this was a “B movie” in comparison with Pocahontas, The Lion King became the highest-grossing film of 1994 worldwide and the second highest-grossing film in history at the time. Additionally, it was the second Disney animated film to win the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy, after Beauty and the Beast. toy story 2 would become the third and last to achieve this honor, as a rule change in 2006 would relegate animated films to the Best Animated Feature category.
The role of Zazu was originally offered to Patrick Stewart almost all members of the group Monty Python before producers discovered episodes of Mr Bean of Rowan Atkinson and decided that he would be the right one for the job. His performance added a distinctive comedic tone to the character, making him a crowd favorite.
When it premiered The Lion Kingfaced some controversy over similarities to a 1906 Japanese animated series, Kimba the White Lion. disney He denied any intention of plagiarism, stating that all similarities were pure coincidence. However, the director Roger Allers had lived in Tokyo and worked in animation during the ’80s, when a new version of Kimba aired in prime time. The confusion increased when the actor Matthew Broderick He revealed that when he first read the script, he thought it was an adaptation of Kimba.
