Jump to content

The Lion King

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Rau J (talk | contribs) at 20:10, 25 September 2011 (The access date on this ref needs to be updated, but I've got no idea where it is. Can someone more familiar with the article update it?). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Lion King
The film's theatrical release poster by John Alvin[2]
Directed by
Written by
Produced byDon Hahn
Starring
Edited byIvan Bilancio
Music byHans Zimmer
Production
company
Distributed byWalt Disney Pictures
Release date
  • June 15, 1994 (1994-06-15)
[1]
Running time
87 minutes[1]
CountryTemplate:FilmUS
LanguageEnglish
Budget$45 million[3]
Box office$862,017,776[3]

The Lion King is a 1994 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. Released to theaters on June 15, 1994 by Walt Disney Pictures,[1] it is the 32nd film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics. The story, which was influenced by the Bible stories of Joseph and Moses, the Epic of Sundiata, and the William Shakespeare play Hamlet, takes place in a kingdom of anthropomorphic lions in Africa.[4] The Lion King is the fifth highest-grossing animated film and continues to be the highest-grossing hand drawn animation 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 and has been called one of the best films of all time. 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 26th highest-grossing feature film ever.

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 (1998); and a prequel/parallel, The Lion King 1½ (2004).

A Broadway adaptation of the show opened in 1997 and won six Tony Awards including one for Best Musical.

Plot

A large number of animals gather around Pride Rock in Africa, where the wise mandrill Rafiki presents Simba, the newborn son of the lion King and Queen, Mufasa and Sarabi. Mufasa's younger brother, Scar, is displeased with the birth of this heir, as he desires the throne for himself. As Simba grows, Mufasa teaches him about being king. During a tour of the Pride Lands, Simba asks about a shadowy place; Mufasa tells him it is beyond their borders and that Simba must never go there. The lesson is cut short when Zazu, Mufasa's Hornbill adviser, informs him that hyenas have entered the Pride Lands. Mufasa tells Zazu to take Simba home while he gets rid of the hyenas. Later that day, Scar tells Simba that the shadowy place is in fact an elephant graveyard. Simba's curiosity is piqued, and he convinces his best friend Nala, a female lion cub, to come with him. Sarabi sends Zazu to keep an eye on the two cubs, but they soon leave him behind. They finally reach the elephant graveyard, where they come upon three spotted hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. The hyenas try to kill the cubs, but during the ensuing chase, Mufasa arrives to rescue them. Mufasa sends Nala and Zazu back to Pride Rock, while he admonishes Simba. Later he teaches Simba about the stars, telling him that they represent all the great kings of the past who will always be there to guide him.

Meanwhile, Scar plots with the hyenas to take over the Pride Lands. On Scar's orders, the hyenas stampede a large pack of grazing wildebeest into a gorge; in their panic, the wildebeests do not notice Simba ahead of them. Scar informs Mufasa of Simba's predicament, and Mufasa successfully rescues Simba. However, as Mufasa attempts to exit the gorge himself by climbing its walls, Scar refuses his request for assistance and throws him back into the gorge, resulting in his death. Scar tricks Simba into believing that Mufasa's death resulted from the cub's carelessness. Ashamed, Simba flees the Pride Lands, intending to never return. In Simba's absence, Scar steps forward as Mufasa's rightful heir and becomes the new King.

Simba collapses in the wasteland after his escape, but is found by Timon, a meerkat, and Pumbaa, a warthog. The duo nurse him back to health and take him in, teaching him their motto, "hakuna matata" (interpreted as "no worries"). Years later, as an adult, Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa from a hungry lioness, only to discover the lioness is Nala. She expresses her delight at finding Simba, and informs him of how Scar's irresponsibility as King of the Pride Lands is leading to the suffering of its inhabitants. Still feeling guilt over his father's death, Simba refuses to return. The wise Rafiki tracks Simba down. He summons Mufasa's ghost in the sky for Simba; the ghost tells Simba that he must return to the Pride Lands and take his place as king. Simba refuses, but as he vanishes Mufasa tells him that he is his son and the one true king, and to remember this.

Simba returns to Pride Rock with Nala, Timon and Pumbaa, who all agree to help him fight. While Timon and Pumbaa distract the hyena guardians, Simba confronts Scar on Pride Rock. Scar forces Simba towards the edge of Pride Rock and reveals that he killed Mufasa. Enraged, Simba leaps back up and pins Scar, forcing Scar to confess his crime to the other lions. The truth now revealed, a 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 everything. The good-natured Simba spares Scar, but the latter betrays the younger lion's trust and attacks once again. The ensuing fight ends when Simba throws Scar off a cliff. Scar survives the fall, but is attacked and immediately killed by the hyenas, who overheard his attempt to betray them.

With Scar and the hyenas gone, Simba is greeted by his mother and Nala. Simba walks up Pride Rock and remembers Mufasa, then lets out a powerful roar in which all the lionesses join. In time, Pride Rock is restored to its former glory and Simba looks down happily at his kingdom with Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa by his side; Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub to the inhabitants of the Pride Lands and the circle of life continues.

Voice cast

  • Matthew Broderick as Simba - Mufasa and Sarabi's son, Scar's nephew, Nala's husband and the current King of the Pride Lands. Joseph Williams provides Simba's singing voice. Jonathan Taylor Thomas plays the younger Simba, with Jason Weaver providing his singing voice.
  • Moira Kelly as Nala - Sarafina's daughter, Simba's best friend and wife, Mufasa and Sarabi's daughter-in-law and the current Queen of the Pride Lands. Sally Dworsky provides Nala's singing voice. Niketa Calame plays the younger Nala, with Laura Williams providing her singing voice.
  • Nathan Lane as Timon - Simba and Pumbaa's meerkat friend.
  • Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa - Simba and Timon's warthog friend.
  • James Earl Jones as Mufasa - Scar's older brother, Sarabi's husband, Simba's father, Nala's father-in-law.
  • Jeremy Irons as Scar - Mufasa's younger brother, Sarabi's brother-in-law and Simba's uncle.
  • Rowan Atkinson as Zazu - A Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill who serves as The Lion King's adviser.
  • Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi - The only female and leader of the hyena trio who serve Scar.
  • Cheech Marin as Banzai - One of the two male members of the hyena trio who serve Scar.
  • Jim Cummings as Ed - One of the two male members of the hyena trio who serve Scar and the only one of the trio who laughs instead of talking.
  • Madge Sinclair as Sarabi - Mufasa's wife, Scar's sister-in-law, Simba's mother and was Queen of the Pride Land until Scar took over.
  • Robert Guillaume as Rafiki - a wise old mandrill who serves as shaman of the Pride Lands and presents newborn cubs of The Lion King and Queen to the animals of the Pride Lands.
  • Zoe Leader as Sarafina - Nala's mother and Simba's mother-in-law. She is not called by her name in the film either except in the end credits.

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 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] The 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]

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]

  • "Circle of Life" is sung by an off-screen character voiced by Carmen Twillie, with African vocals by Lebo M and his African choir. This song is played during the ceremony where the newborn Simba is presented to the animals of the Pride Lands. The song is reprised at the end of the film, during the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub.
  • "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is sung by young Simba (Jason Weaver), young Nala (Laura Williams), and Zazu (Rowan Atkinson). Simba uses this musical number in the film to distract Zazu so that he and Nala can sneak off to the elephant graveyard, at the same time expressing his wish to be king as soon as possible.
  • "Be Prepared" is sung by Scar (Jeremy Irons/Jim Cummings), Shenzi (Whoopi Goldberg), Banzai (Cheech Marin) and Ed (Jim Cummings). In this song, Scar reveals his plot to kill Mufasa and Simba to his hyena minions.
  • "Hakuna Matata" is sung by Timon (Nathan Lane), Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) and Simba (Jason Weaver as a cub and Joseph Williams as an adult). Timon and Pumbaa use this song as a warm welcome to Simba as he arrives at their jungle home, and to explain their "no worries" lifestyle. The sequence also contains a montage sequence in which Simba grows into a young adult, indicating the passage of time in Simba's life in the jungle. In 2004 "Hakuna Matata" was listed at number 99[18] by the American Film Institute in its AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs list.
  • "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a love song sung mainly by an off-screen character voiced by Kristle Edwards, along with Timon (Nathan Lane), Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), adult Simba (Joseph Williams) and adult Nala (Sally Dworsky). This musical sequence shows Timon and Pumbaa's frustration at seeing Simba fall in love, and the development of Simba and Nala's romantic relationship. The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song during the 67th Academy Awards.

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:

  • "The Morning Report" was originally a scene planned for the theatrical film but never made it past the storyboard stage. It was later cut and the song lyrics were written to be used for the live musical version of The Lion King instead.[19] It was later added, with an accompanying animated sequence, to the 2002 IMAX rerelease. Sung by Zazu (Jeff Bennett), Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and young Simba (Evan Saucedo), the song is an extension of the scene in the original film where Zazu delivers a morning report to Mufasa, and later gets pounced on by Simba.

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). Additionally, The Lion King Expanded Score contains never-before-released instrumental music from Hans Zimmer's original score.[21]

Release

Box office

The Lion King became the highest-grossing motion picture of 1994 worldwide, and the second highest in the United States (behind Forrest Gump).[22] The film earned $312,855,561 in the United States, including a short return to theaters in November 1994. [3] The Lion King was re-issued on January 1, 2002 for IMAX and large-format theaters and for 3D in 2011, bringing the film's domestic total to $390,217,776. The film has taken in a worldwide total of $858,117,776.[3]

The Lion King held the record for the highest grossing animated feature film until 2003 when it was surpassed by the computer animated Finding Nemo. As of 2011 it remains the fifth highest-grossing animated film worldwide and the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated feature film.[5]

In 2011, The Lion King was converted to 3D for a two-week limited theatrical re-issue and subsequent 3D Blu-Ray release.[23][24] The film opened at number one on Friday, September 16, 2011 with $8.9 million[25] and finished the weekend with an estimated $30.2 million, ranking number one at the box office.[26] This made The Lion King the first re-issue release to earn the number-one slot at the American weekend box office since the re-issue of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi in March 1997.[27] The film also achieved the fourth-highest September opening weekend of all time.[28]

Critical response

The Lion King garnered critical acclaim and at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 75 reviews collected, the film has an overall approval rating of 89%, with a weighted average score of 8/10.[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,[29] the film holds an overall approval rating of 100 percent.[30] 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.[31]

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."[32] 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".[33] 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."[34] 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".[35] 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".[36] 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."[37] 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."[38]

In June 2011, TIME named it one of "The 25 All-TIME Best Animated Films".[39]

Accolades

The Lion King received four Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. The film would go on to win two Golden Globes, for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Original Score,[40] as well as two Academy Awards, for Best Original Score (by Hans Zimmer) and Best Original Song with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by Elton John and Tim Rice.[41] The songs "Circle of Life" and "Hakuna Matata".[41] "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" also won the BMI Film Music Award, and the Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance.[42][43] The film also won Annie Awards for Best Animated Feature, Best Achievement in Voice Acting (for Jeremy Irons) and Best Individual Achievement for Story Contribution in the Field of Animation.[44]

At the Saturn Awards, the film was nominated in two categories, Best Fantasy Film and Best Performance by a Younger Actor although it did not win in either category.[45][46] The film also received two nominations at the British Academy Film Awards, for Best Sound as well as the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music although it lost in both categories to Speed and Backbeat respectively.[47] The film received two BMI Film & TV Awards for Film Music and Most Performed Song with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."[48] At the 1995 MTV Movie Awards the film received nominations for Best Villain and Best Song, though it lost in both categories.[49] The Lion King won the Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie at the 1995 Kids' Choice Awards.[50] 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.[51]

American Film Institute Lists[citation needed]

Home media

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[52] and ultimately sales totaled more than 30 million[53] before these home video versions went into moratorium in 1997.[54]

On October 7, 2003, the film was re-released 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.[55] 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.[56] 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.[54] The Platinum Edition of The Lion King featured changes made to the film during its IMAX re-release, including re-drawn crocodiles in the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" sequence as well as other alterations.[57] More than two million copies of the Platinum Edition DVD and VHS units were sold on the first day of release.[52] 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,[58] but new and used copies still sell very well.[59]

The Diamond Edition of The Lion King will be released on October 4, 2011.[60][23][61] This marks the first time that the film will be released in high-definition Blu-ray and on Blu-ray 3D.[60][23][61][62] The release will be produced in three different packages, including a 4-disc combo pack, a 2-disc combo pack, and an 8-disc "Trilogy Box Set."[60][23][61]

Following the release of the Diamond Edition, a standard single-disc Disney DVD release of The Lion King will also be available November 15, 2011.[63]

Controversies

Story origin

File:Kimbasimba.JPG
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] However, certain elements of the film bear a resemblance to a famous 1960s Japanese anime television show, Kimba the White Lion.[64] One similarity is the protagonists' names: Kimba and Simba, although the word "Simba" means "lion" in Swahili.[65] It is also noteworthy that in The Lion King, two of the three villainous hyenas who are confidants of Scar have Japanese names: Shenzi and Banzai. 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.[66] Early production artwork on the film's Platinum Edition DVD even includes a white lion.[67] Disney's official stance is that the similarities are all coincidental.[68]

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!'[69]

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.[70] It has also been noted that the plot bears some resemblance to the West African Epic of Sundiata.[71]

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,[72] which conservative activist Donald Wildmon asserted was a subliminal message intended to promote sexual promiscuity. The film's animators 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.[73] It could also be a signature by SEK Studio, a North Korean animation studio alleged to have done some outsourced production on the film. [74]

"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.[75]

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.[76] The resulting portrayal did not impress most hyena biologists: one hyena researcher sued Disney studios for defamation of character,[77] 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.[78] 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."[76]

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.[79][80][81] Film analyst Matt Roth described the film as a "spadework for the ugly principles it [Disney] feels it must implant in each new generation."[82]

Musical

A musical adaptation with the same name premiered in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1997. The musical then opened on Broadway in October 1997 at the New Amsterdam Theatre. It won six Tony Awards including Best Musical. The show moved to the Minskoff Theatre in 2006 and is still running to this day. It is now Broadway's seventh longest-running show in history. The show's financial success lead to other productions in North America and all over the world.

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.[83] Simba and Nala's escapade to the elephant graveyard was mentioned in a Season 2 episode of House. In 2005, Doctor Who referenced The Lion King, when the new Doctor (played by David Tennant) confused from his recent regeneration quotes from the Circle of Life when arguing with the invading Sycorax, saying "Look at these people, these human beings, consider their potential, from the day they arrive on the planet, and blinking step into the sun, there's more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than" then stops abruptly adding "no hold on, sorry that's The Lion King"

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.[84] Pumbaa made a cameo in Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996),[85] 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.[86]

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Lion King (1994)". Yahoo! Movies. Yahoo!. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
  2. ^ Stewart, Jocelyn (2008-02-10). "Artist created many famous film posters". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2008-02-12. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  3. ^ a b c d "The Lion King Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2006-07-30.
  4. ^ a b c d e The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 2), Origins (DVD). Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 1994-06-15.
  5. ^ a b "Highest grossing animated films". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  6. ^ "Disney: Notes on the end of the Disney Renaissance". decentfilms.com. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  7. ^ "The Lion King interview". Archived from the original on 2007-12-31. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
  8. ^ "The Lion King – 1994 Academy Awards". Boxofficemojo. Retrieved 2006-09-17.
  9. ^ "Thomas M. Disch's contract and film treatment". www.jamescumminsbookseller.com. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Lion King Production Notes". Lionking.org. 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. 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. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  15. ^ a b "Rotten Tomatoes – The Lion King". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  16. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes – Pocahontas". Rotten Tomatoes. 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. 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. Archived from the original on 2008-06-01. Retrieved 2008-08-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ "Lion King Expanded Score Info". Hans-Zimmer.com. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  22. ^ "Top 50 movies of 1994". Archived from the original on 2008-05-26. Retrieved 2009-03-17. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2008-03-26 suggested (help)
  23. ^ a b c d "Audiences to Experience Disney's "The Lion King" Like Never Before". PR News Wire. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  24. ^ McClintock, Pamela (26 May 2011). "Disney's 'The Lion King' to Return to Theaters in Digital 3D". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  25. ^ Friday Report: 'Lion King' Pounces on Weak Field
  26. ^ September 16-18, 2011 Weekend
  27. ^ Weekend Report: 'Lion King' Regains Box Office Crown
  28. ^ TOP OPENING WEEKENDS BY MONTH SEPTEMBER
  29. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes FAQ: What is Cream of the Crop". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  30. ^ "The Lion King: Rotten Tomatoes' Cream of the Crop". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  31. ^ "The Lion King (1994): Reviews". Metacritic. CBS. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  32. ^ Ebert, Roger (1994-06-24). "The Lion King review". Chicago Sun Times. Archived from the original on 2005-11-14. Retrieved 2006-08-31.
  33. ^ "The Lion King review". At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper. Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
  34. ^ Hinson, Hal (1994-06-24). "The Lion King review". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  35. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (1994-06-24). "The Lion King movie review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  36. ^ Travers, Peter (1994-07-14). "The Lion King movie review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-04-29. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  37. ^ "The Lion King movie review". tvguide.com. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  38. ^ Berardinelli, James. "The Lion King review". ReelViews.net. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
  39. ^ Richard Corliss (June 23, 2011). "The 25 All-TIME Best Animated Films - The Lion King". TIME. Retrieved August 19, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  40. ^ "SEARCH – Lion King, The". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  41. ^ a b "Nominees & Winners for the 67th Academy Awards". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
  42. ^ "Grammy Awards: 1995". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  43. ^ "1994 Grammy Award winners". Pearson PLC. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  44. ^ "Legacy: 22nd Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1994)". Annie Awards. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  45. ^ "Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: 1995". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  46. ^ "Past Saturn Awards". Saturnawards.org. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  47. ^ "BAFTA Awards: The Lion King". BAFTA.org. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  48. ^ "BMI Film & TV Awards: 1995". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  49. ^ "MTV Movie Awards: 1995". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  50. ^ "Kids' Choice Awards, USA: 1995". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
  51. ^ "AFI's 10 Top 10". American Film Institute. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  52. ^ a b "The Lion King home video selling figures". ComingSoon.Net. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
  53. ^ ""Lion King" sets new records with DVD release". Ew.com. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  54. ^ a b "TLK on Home Video". Lionking.org. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  55. ^ "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. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  56. ^ "The Lion King Special Edition DVD features". The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved 2006-09-18.
  57. ^ "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. Retrieved 2006-08-23.
  58. ^ "Out of Print Disney DVDs". UltimateDisney.com. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
  59. ^ "Amazon.com DVD Page". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  60. ^ a b c "'The Lion King' 3D to Have Limited Theatrical Run in September". Stitch Kingdom. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  61. ^ a b c "Exclusive: Lion King 3D Blu-ray Details". IGN. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  62. ^ Gallagher, Brian (26 May 2011). "The Lion King 3D Comes to Theaters This September!". MovieWeb. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  63. ^ "Amazon.com: The Lion King: Matthew Broderick et al". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  64. ^ "Comparison screen-shots of The Lion King and Kimba the White Lion". Kimbawlion.com. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
  65. ^ As shown in a search for either term at the Online Swahili–English Dictionary.
  66. ^ 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.
  67. ^ The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 2), Presentation Reel (DVD). Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 1994-06-15.
  68. ^ Hong, Peter (2002-05-19). "The Lion King/Kimba controversy". Los Angeles Times. pp. L4. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  69. ^ Kelts, Roland, Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US. Reprint edn (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008). p.45
  70. ^ Vogler, Christopher (1998). The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers.
  71. ^ "The True Lion King of Africa: The Epic History of Sundiata, King of Old Mali". Education Resources Information Center. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  72. ^ "The alleged "SEX" frame in The Lion King". Snopes. Retrieved 2006-07-01.
  73. ^ Hartmann, Caroline (2007-02-01). "What Disney is all about". Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  74. ^ http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/IC14Dg03.html
  75. ^ "Disney settles Lion song dispute". BBC News. 2006-02-16. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  76. ^ a b 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
  77. ^ The good,the bad and the hyena by James Mcpherson
  78. ^ Girl Power, Laurence D. Frank, African Geographic
  79. ^ Film genre 2000: new critical essays published by The SUNY series, cultural studies in cinema/video
  80. ^ The Death of Art, by Bhesham R. Sharma, published by the University Press of America, 2006
  81. ^ The Mouse That Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence, Culture and Education, Henry A. Giroux, Rowman & Littlefield, 2001
  82. ^ The Lion King: A short history of Disney-fascism by Matt Roth from Jump Cut, no. 40, March 1996, pp. 15–20
  83. ^ Scott Chernoff (2007-07-24). "I Bent My Wookiee! Celebrating the Star Wars/Simpsons Connection". Lucas Online. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  84. ^ "Toy Story easter eggs". The Easter Egg Archive. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
  85. ^ "Aladdin and the King of Thieves". TV.com. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  86. ^ "Hercules Easter Egg". The Easter Egg Archive. Retrieved 2008-08-05.

Template:Link GA Template:Link GA