It’s been a whopping 23 years since The Lion King made its debut, but the cultural impact of the 1994 Disney classic can still be felt in its story and songs. There probably isn’t a soul in this universe who doesn’t know all the lyrics to “Hakuna Matata.” As a pinnacle of the Disney Renaissance era (also known as Disney’s Second Golden Age, with saw the release of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin), Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, and company have cemented their legacy in cinema history and are now part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection.
For many, including myself, this was one of the first movies that was emotionally moving. The death of Mufasa is one of the saddest moments in film, and I will fight anyone who disagrees. Even now, I skip over it because it just hurts too much. But even though these characters are animals from the Pride Lands of Africa, they’re more relatable than human characters. Birth of a son? Check. A jealous family member? Check. The death of a beloved father? Check. A love story? Check. Coming of age? Check. The circle of life? CHECK.
Now that The Lion King has rightfully earned its spot in the prestigious Walt Disney Signature Collection, FANDOM recently chatted with director Rob Minkoff to unearth a few fun facts about this Disney classic.
First Disney Animated Feature to be an Original Story
Disney was just coming off the giant success of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin when The Lion King was pitched. Talk about pressure, huh? According to Minkoff, the expectations were actually pretty low. Disney was used to fairytale adaptations, and when an original story about lions came around, they weren’t anticipating the same kind of blockbuster. In fact, the studio was split in two teams: one working on The Lion King, the other working on Pocahontas. Most people chose to work on Pocahontas, unsure of how The Lion King would turn out. Guess they didn’t see all the colors of the wind, eh? (sorrynotsorry)
The Gut-Wrenching Stampede Scene was the First One Drawn
Mufasa’s death was always part of the story from day one, and turns out the stampede was the first scene drawn. Minkoff said it also happened to be the last one finished. There were many scenes that were revisited but the wildebeest stampede took the longest. It’s the first turning point of the movie, where Simba believes he’s responsible for his father’s death, so it had to be handled with care. Considering I can barely keep my s–t together when this scene comes on, Minkoff and Co. did everything right.
“Circle of Life” Wasn’t Always So Epic
The Lion King has one of the greatest opening scenes in cinematic history, period. The sun rising on the Pride Lands with all its animals doing their animal things, accompanied by the African sounds of “Circle of Life” is sheer cinematic perfection. It laid a strong foundation for the story, plus everyone has done the Simba lift at some point in their lives. (Don’t lie.) But according to Minkoff, there was a different version of the song in the beginning that didn’t reach the level of emotion they sought. So Hans Zimmer arranged a demo performed by Carmen Twillie and Lebo M. It was so perfect they decided to keep it as is, instead of bringing in a A-list celebrity to come sing it. Could you imagine it any other way?!
The Lion King – Circle Of Life by Carmen Twillie & Lebo M. on VEVO.
When Disney Got Its Shakespeare On
Since The Lion King was an original story pitched to Disney — which was finding massive successful with fairy tale adaptations — Minkoff said they tried to liken it to Hamlet. A son seeks revenge on his uncle, who killed his father. Sound familiar? Now just add lions. It worked, and the Hamlet themes didn’t stop there. Simba has a come-to-Jesus moment where he runs into Rafiki and sees his reflection in the water, then his father’s ghost telling him “Remember who you are…” (Are you saying it in James Earl Jones’ voice right now, too?) Wise old Rafiki then whacks Simba on the head with his stick, proving that the past can hurt but you must learn from it and move forward. This was the “To be, or not to be” scene of The Lion King, and Minkoff said they kept referring to it as such throughout production. He also said the whack on the head was pitched in the writer’s room as a joke, but then they were like, Yes, let’s do that.
The Walt Disney Signature Collection of Disney’s The Lion King is now available on Blu-ray and Digital HD.
