Summary
- The Lion King franchise includes various films, with more planned, such as “Black Is King” and “Simba’s Pride.”
- “The Lion King 1 1/2” is an unconventional side-quel focusing on Timon and Pumbaa’s story parallel to the original film.
- “Mufasa: The Lion King” is a prequel giving insight into Simba’s father’s life and legacy, breaking away from expectations.
Although it doesn’t feel like it, Mufasa: The Lion King is part of a true franchise. The Lion King is one of Disney’s most beloved properties since the idea of reshaping Shakespeare’s Hamlet into animated format came in the early 90s. Although not every release has been marked by the same sort of anticipation that the recent live-action remakes have generated, The Lion King franchise remains a wealth of great characters, animation, and most especially, songs.
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The Lion King films are spread across various formats, types of release and popularity. Some Disney fans won’t have seen any of the original animated follow-up films, for instance. The Lion King is set for more films in the future based on recent success and plans, but thus far this is the entire list of films from the beloved world of Pride Rock.
6
Black Is King
The Companion Album Movie
- IMDb Score: 5.9
- Starring: Folajomi Akinmurele, Beyoncé & Nyaniso Ntsikelelo Dzedze
- Directed By: Beyoncé & Crew
- Released: July 2020
Although it isn’t an official Lion King movie, Black Is King is thought of as part of the franchise. Beyoncé made the film as a visual companion to The Lion King: The Gift album. As an important part of the modern franchise, Beyoncé and the music she brought to the screen, alongside some stunning visuals and a story closely inspired by The Lion King made for something surprisingly rewatchable.
Telling the story of a young African Prince who is exiled and returns to claim his throne with the guidance of an ancestor, played by Beyoncé herself, Black Is King is an incredible allegory. Meant to represent the story of African descendants reclaiming their stories and heritage, the film’s themes are hugely relevant today and made for a great companion piece and a worthy part of the franchise overall.
5
The Lion King 1 1/2
The Shining Spotlight For Timon & Pumbaa
- IMDb Score: 6.5
- Starring: Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella & Julie Kavner
- Directed By: Bradley Raymond
- Released: February 2004
It might seem, and is in fact, unusual for a Disney film to receive a 1 1/2 entry. The unusual numbering refers to the fact that, instead of a sequel, this film is something of a side-quel. This means the story takes place (mostly) concurrently with the original Lion King, as Timon and Pumbaa tell the story of how they met and were more involved in the events of the first film than initially thought.
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With reprisals in their roles by both Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, The Lion King 1 1/2 shows Timon’s origins, elaborates on Pumbaa’s troubles, and shows the two meeting. It also adds to the events of the first film, not making it necessary viewing, but useful and interesting at the very least.
4
The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride
An Exciting Follow-Up Faithful To The Original
- IMDb Score: 6.4
- Starring: Neve Campbell, Jason Marsden & Matthew Broderick
- Directed By: Darrell Rooney
- Released: October 1998
Although the direct-to-DVD (or VHS) Disney film sequels aren’t all that popular these days, there are a few of them worth checking out. Simba’s Pride is a follow-up that featured the return of most of the voice cast from The Lion King and took inspiration in its story from Romeo & Juliet to continue the franchise’s theme of borrowing from Shakespeare.
Simba’s daughter, Kiara, falls for Kovu, a member of an outcast pride of lions formerly loyal to Scar. Simba and Kovu’s treacherous mother Zira attempt to keep the two apart, resulting in a heartbreaking and fascinating story that Disney fans have forgotten and missed out on for decades. Including an amazing voice cast which added the likes of Neve Campbell, this film was so much more than another unnecessary Disney Toon sequel.
3
Mufasa: The Lion King
A Prequel Worth Telling About A Beloved Figure
- IMDb Score: 6.8
- Starring: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr & John Kani
- Directed By: Barry Jenkins
- Released: December 2024
Although it was a controversial idea to make a prequel before moving forward with The Lion King 2, Barry Jenkins took the helm of this story centered on Simba’s father, dedicated the film to the late James Earl Jones, and helped create a new legacy for The Lion King franchise that broke away from what fans might have expected to see.
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Telling how Mufasa lost his family and was raised by a king alongside a brother named Taka, and ventured forth to seek out the legendary Milele alongside Sarabi, Zazu and Rafiki. With incredible new songs, appearances by familiar characters and the full story of how a young lion became a legend, Mufasa is a film worth seeing for any fans of the franchise that promises a bright future for the series.
2
The Lion King (2019)
A Worthy Live-Action Successor
- IMDb Score: 6.8
- Starring: Donald Glover, Beyoncé & Chiwetel Ejiofor
- Directed By: Jon Favreau
- Released: July 2019
Though Disney has been maligned by some fans and critics for their many live-action remakes of beloved animated properties lately, there are some of these films which have done enough to confirm they deserve their own place in cinematic history. The Lion King has a star-studded cast including Donald Glover and Beyoncé. It saw the reprisal of James Earl Jones as Mufasa, and it retold the story of Simba with beautiful new visuals, a lengthier runtime and an amazing new score by Hans Zimmer.
Though the story was the same, the incredible CGI and breathtaking visual aspect lent itself to a retelling of The Lion King. Jon Favreau took everything he learned from helming the remake of The Jungle Book and crafted a beautiful new take on the story. Beyoncé’s new song Spirit, the revamped other songs, already beloved scenes and lines blurred with new ideas, jokes and inspirational moments helped make The Lion King a worthy restart to the franchise.
1
The Lion King (1994)
The Original Masterpiece, Never To Be Outdone
- IMDb Score: 8.5
- Starring: Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly & James Earl Jones
- Directed By: Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff
- Released: June 1994
It has been thirty years since the release of The Lion King, yet it remains one of the true pinnacles not just of Disney, but of the entire animated film genre. The story of Simba tricked into running away by his uncle after the death of his father, is iconic and ingrained into every inch of pop culture.
The incredible soundtrack, without a single unrecognizable song, the epic moments and beautiful animation, and the highly memorable characters, come together in a cacophony of a film that is fast-paced, endlessly watchable and quotable, and yet to be outdone either by an animated movie or by any film in the franchise that has sprung up around this story.
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