The Lion King movie.
One of the most prized movies every created by Disney is The Lion King. The show was a box office hit in 1994. The story line follows several from within the Bible, but told through the eyes of a young lion named Simba.
The voices for the characters include an all-star cast. Jonathan Taylor Thomas plays the young Simba and Matthew Broderick is the voice of him as an adult. James Earl Jones is the wise voice of Rafiki. Jeremy Irons offers the voice for the plotting villain known as Scar.
While the show was a great hit, it didn’t seem like it was ever going to get off the ground. The story was actually written in 1998. However, there were plenty of differences in opinion about it being just an animated film or being a musical. This was one of the first Disney films where computer animation was used. It was a big part of the stampede scene where Mufasa is killed.
The soundtrack of The Lion King is also a huge favorite. It features hits including The Circle of Life by Elton John and Hakuna Matata. The film has had a few controversies. One of them stems from biologists who didn’t like the way the hyenas were portrayed in the film. They felt it put them at risk in the wild by humans.
Another controversy stems from the just that moves around and floats in the air in one scene with Simba. Some groups have stated that Disney intentionally is allowing it to spell sex to send a subliminal message to kids. However, Disney says that it says SFX, for special effects.
The Lion King continues to be one of the top selling Disney movies of all time. It is loved by all generations, and it is a timeless film. It is ranked #19 in history of all films in terms of gross sales. The film won two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes. The movie has also resulted in millions resulting from the sales of related products. By the end of 1994, $214 million had been sold in The Lion King toys.
It was released again in theaters in 2011 with a 3-D version. There have been some spin offs from this original including Lion King 1 ½ and Lion King 2. There has also been Timon and Pumba’s Adventure. The show has also become a Broadway and Las Vegas play.