This article consists of concepts of The Lion King, including artwork, ideas, storyboards, and more.
Early scripts[]
King of the Kalahari[]
According to the "Pride of The Lion King" documentary on the Blu-ray edition of The Lion King, the story was originally about a war between baboons and lions. Scar was the leader of the baboons, Rafiki was a cheetah, and Simba was a lazy king who eventually got overthrown.[1] When Allers and Minkoff became the directors, the story was drastically changed and toned down in attitude.
King of the Jungle (1990)[]
King of the Jungle (or King of the Beasts) was an early title for The Lion King. In 2012, two screenplays were released: one written in January 1990 by J.T. Allen and another written in May 1990 by Allen and Ron Bass. Both early screenplays are extremely different from the final version of the film, as they are violent, suggestive, incestuous, and essentially not child-friendly. In the end, they were scrapped, and very few traces of story material remain in the final film.
King of the Jungle (1992)[]
The following script was written in September 11, 1992.[2] However, the storyboards and voice acting was finished on January 26, 1993. In this version, the film became a musical.
Early scenes[]
"Circle of Life"[]
Originally, the "Circle of Life" sequence had dialogue. The song was a prayer in Swahili that was sung by animals who were coming to Pride Rock for the presentation of Simba. Scar looked on from atop a rock, watching the royal family in hatred, then stalked off, with Mufasa watching him sadly. Sarabi and Zazu were shocked and scared when Rafiki appeared, but Mufasa calmed them down. During the anointment of Simba, Rafiki chanted his famous song: "Asante sana! Squash banana!"
During the making of the storyboard of the song, the filmmakers decided to replace the prayer with the music for "Busa". This idea was also abandoned.
Mufasa's joke[]
There was originally a scene in which Zazu and Mufasa tell a different joke about Scar than is told in the final film. According to Roger Allers, the joke fell flat and was thus deleted.
"To Be King"[]
Mufasa was originally scripted to sing a song titled "To Be King" during his morning lesson with Simba, but it didn't suit James Earl Jones's singing voice, so it was scrapped.
In the middle of the song, Mufasa calls the alarm, a mighty roar that warns his subjects that a giant flood is coming. The animals go to higher ground for safety. When the water calms, the chorus of subjects sings their praises to the king. Simba is shocked to find out that being king doesn't just mean having fun. He wants to spend more time with his father and Zazu, but they have their royal duties, and so Simba goes back home.[3][4]
The Elephant Graveyard[]
The deleted scene in which Scar tricks Simba into going to the Elephant Graveyard is nearly identical to the final version. However, the bath scene is a lot different, as Simba and Nala's dialogue is longer and Sarafina has more lines. At this time, "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" did not exist. During the scene in which Zazu takes the cubs to the water hole, he lowers his head to drink, and the cubs push him in and continue their adventure. Their meeting with the hyenas and the scene in which Mufasa saves them is mostly similar to the original film.[5]
"The Lion in the Moon"[]
While coming back home, Zazu reminds Mufasa that the king himself made mistakes as a cub. Mufasa sends Zazu to deliver Nala home and starts a father-son lesson with Simba. They talk about responsibility and how Simba has much time to learn before becoming king. Mufasa and Simba return home, where Sarabi prepares Simba for bed while Mufasa tells Sarabi that he will talk with her later about their adventure that day.
Simba, ready for sleep, has hyenas on his mind, and Sarabi urges him to quiet down. But in the distance, a hyena yips, and Simba jumps up, on guard. Sarabi reassures Simba that he has nothing to fear. Sarabi was then supposed to sing a song titled "The Lion in the Moon"[6] In the song, she sings of a spirit that watches over the Pride Lands and protects its inhabitants. This scene was later replaced by Mufasa telling his son about the Great Kings of the Past.
The Stampede[]
The stampede scene was mostly similar. However, at the start, Scar pretends to be waiting for Mufasa along with Simba, then goes to see why Mufasa hasn't come yet.[7] After the stampede, Scar was supposed not to show sympathy to Simba at all, but chase him out of the Pride Lands himself.
Scar's Coronation[]
Scar was supposed to bring an unconscious Zazu to the pride. Zazu would've woken up in a panic, stating that they must help Mufasa and Simba, but Scar would've announced their deaths to everyone, much to Sarabi's horror, who ends up having an emotional breakdown during the scene. The hyenas did not appear at all.[8]
Timon and Pumbaa save Simba[]
| “ | Timon: Are you okay, kid? Simba: I... I guess so. Timon: Are you hungry? Simba: Yeah! Timon: What I tell you, Pumbaa?! Come on, let's go!
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At first, Simba was supposed to have a brief conversation with the vultures, who were taunting him, before before he passed out. However, before Simba could be eaten, Timon and Pumbaa attacked the vultures and drove them off. After that, the duo found him, and Pumbaa took him to the shade, despite Timon's protests. When Simba opened his eyes, Timon asked him if he was hungry, and when Simba replied that he was, Timon escaped behind a tree. Eventually, he and Pumbaa accepted Simba because they felt sorry for his terrible past.
Warthog Rhapsody[]
During production, another song titled "Warthog Rhapsody" was considered for the scene but was tossed out in favor of "Hakuna Matata" so that the filmmakers could focus not only on Timon and Pumbaa's carefree lifestyle, but also on Simba's neglect for responsibility.[9]
Bug Football[]
| “ | Timon: Pumbaa!You ate the ball! You aren't supposed to eat the ball! Pumbaa: Oh. Sorry. Timon: You are banished.
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This scene was supposed to show Simba's life in the jungle, showing him specifically as an adolescent, happy and without problems. Timon takes a bug, Simba's lunch, and starts to play rugby. Simba accepts the game and joins Timon. Timon accidentally shoots the bug into Pumbaa's mouth, and Pumbaa eats the bug.[10]
Scar Lusts Over Nala[]
| “ | Scar: A king alone is a sad situation indeed, but a king without heirs? Now that's a tragedy... Nala: You can't be serious. Scar: I've never been more serious.
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Scar asks Zazu why he isn't loved like Mufasa. Zazu says it is because the Pride Lands have been destroyed by the hyenas, but Scar does not want to accept it. Zazu lists Mufasa's noble qualities. Scar fixates on one. Mufasa had a queen, and he needs a queen, too. Meanwhile, Sarabi and Nala have problems with the hyenas. Zazu comes to tell Nala that Scar wants to see her.
Nala comes to Scar who tries to flirt with her, but she openly refuses him. Lionesses come to help her, but Scar, in anger, introduces the hyenas as his new executive staff, singing the reprise of Be Prepared. Nala is banished from the Pride Lands and runs away from her homeland.[11]
Nala and Simba Reunite[]
| “ | Simba: Timon, this is Nala. Nala this is... this is so great! Timon: Who's Nala? Simba: She's my best friend! Timon: Friend?! Friend?! Some kind of a friend! She tried to eat Pumbaa!
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There is a slight difference between the final scene in the film and Simba and Nala's original reunion. In this version, Nala tells Simba that Scar has banished her and then goes on to say that she wants Simba to come back to the Pride Lands. In answer, he postpones the discussion for later.
Fight with Nala[]
The first version of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight“ was supposed to be played during Simba and Nala's romantic walk, but the tone of the song. Lyricist Tim Rice conceived at least fifteen drafts for the film's love songs.[12] One demo was recorded by Joseph Williams and Sally Dworsky as Simba and Nala respectively, though when the plot was revised so that Simba went into self-exile after his father's death, the lyrics were revised to reflect their reunion while discovering love. After each character sang a verse to one another, the song was later accompanied with a heavenly choir.
Once the song is over, Simba's guilt turns into shame, and he tells her that Mufasa's death was his fault. Nala argues that it was an accident and that he shouldn't blame himself. She advises Simba to return home, but he doesn't want to confront his fears and calls Nala to stay with him. She doesn't know what to think, and they both go to sleep. However, Simba cannot sleep well, so he goes on a walk and meets Rafiki. Their dialogue is similar to its final version. Rafiki leads Simba to a pool where Simba sees a dream-like vision of his father in the sky. Mufasa's ghost tells Simba what he has to do, and Simba decides to return home. His follow-up dialogue with Rafiki is not shown.[13]
Simba Decides to Return[]
| “ | Nala: You going back, aren't you? Simba: Yeah... Timon: 'Going back? What did you mean going back? Nala: Simba, I don't understand. I thought you wanted to stay.
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After Simba's meeting with Mufasa's spirit, the young lion comes to Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa (all sleeping) to see them before departure. Timon wakes up, and his noise wakes Nala. She wants to go with Simba, but he does not allow it, saying that he would return for her. Pumbaa wakes up, and Timon tells Nala that Simba's going is her fault, but Simba is gone. Nala still leaves, and Pumbaa does as well, so Timon has no choice and follows them.
The Battle of Pride Rock[]
| “ | Scar: Help me, Simba! Please, help me! Simba: Why should I? Scar: Are you no better than I? You're no murderer Simba. Please! I beg your forgiveness! You won, you're king!
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The lionesses and the hyenas are having a stand-off with Scar over the lack of food in the kingdom. At that moment, a roaring Simba appears atop Pride Rock. Scar reacts with terror, thinking that Mufasa's ghost has come to punish him, and goes into a panic attack. When Simba reveals his true identity, the hyenas attack him. Sarabi gets knocked out, while Timon and Pumbaa run to help their friend. However, the hyenas attack and surround them. Nala rallies the lionesses, and they save the duo, before a war breaks out between the lionesses and the hyenas. Meanwhile, lightning strikes the base of Pride Rock and starts a fire.[14]
Simba breaks free from the battle and battles his uncle on the top of a burning Pride Rock. As the fire grows closer, Scar badly wounds Simba in their fight and, thinking that this is Simba's end, reveals that he was the one who killed Mufasa. He says, "Good night, sweet prince," as a reference to Hamlet, before leaping at Simba to kill him. In anger, Simba flips Scar and throws him off Pride Rock. Scar grabs onto the ledge and hangs over the flames. Scar cries out to his nephew for help, telling him that he will be better than Scar if he helps him and claiming that Simba has won. Simba helps him climb to safety, but Scar grabs his nephew by the mane and throws him off Pride Rock into the fire below. Simba lands on a burning tree and survives the fall, while Scar, believing Simba has been defeated and killed, laughs in victory. Scar is then engulfed by the flames, which surround Pride Rock, and his tyrannical rule comes to an end.
After Scar is gone in the flames, rain falls, cleansing the land and quenching the fire. Simba finds his mother, who is still unconscious. When Sarabi wakes up, she and Simba embrace, after which Simba roars atop Pride Rock and becomes the king. Many years later, we see the Pride Lands restored, as well as the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub. This scene was deleted due to being too dark and horrific for a Disney film.[15]
"The Lion King" 1993[]
This version of the script has an unknown date of writing (however, we can assume that it was made between the end of January and the first days of June, given the dates of the first appearances of the previous script and the earlier print dates for the 1993 VHS of Aladdin, which had a behind-the-scenes trailer for The Lion King).
For the full movie of the workprint, see here and here.
Circle of Life[]
In this version of the script, "Circle of Life" is the powerful song we all know from the final film. The dialogue was cut from the production when the filmmakers heard how strong and powerful the music was.
"Life's not fair"[]
While the dialogue in the scene isn't completely similar to the final film, it is mostly the same. Originally, Scar and Mufasa were supposed to be shown roaring at each other after Scar's "challenge," but Scar would give up the fight.
The Morning Lesson/Scar Tricks Simba[]
The final scenes and the concepts of the scenes don't have much of the differences.
I Just Can't Wait to be King[]
The song about Simba wanting to be king was added to the film in this script. It was mostly unchanged, except for the scene in which Simba whispers to the animals to get rid of Zazu. Also, after the song, Simba and Nala's argument about whose plan it was wasn't shown, but Nala still pinned Simba.
Elephant Graveyard[]
There is a little differences between this concept and the final scene.
The Great Kings of the Past[]
Most of the scene remains unchanged. At first, Zazu tries to to apologize to Mufasa, but he points up that it wasn't Zazu's fault. The dialogue between the father and the son was a little shorter then the final version, so the filmmakers decided to make it longer, so that Mufasa's forgiveness would be more gradually.
Scar's plot[]
As the most of this version of the film, the song is mostly similar to the final version.
The Stampede[]
In this version of the film, Simba meets a chameleon and plays with it until it bites him, causing him to scream. This was replaced with the finalized version of him trying to roar at a chameleon and believing he started the stampede. The stampede itself similar to the final edit of the film. However, this is first time in film's production to Scar show "sympathy" to Simba and give him "advice" to run away and never return, after which he sends the hyenas to kill him off, but they fail.
(1993) The Lion King pencil test Stampede
Scar was supposed to be shown "mourning" Mufasa and Simba before the pride, and telling them that they must never forget the brave king and his beloved son. However, his sad look on the face soon gets replaced by the sinister smile and he tells that from now on, he is the king and he will bring hyenas and lions together in a "great and glorious future." After this, he climbs to the top of the rock and sings the reprise of "Be Prepared" while the hyenas join him. This was deleted because it would ruin the atmosphere of Mufasa's death.
Scar Lusts Over Nala[]
Just like "To be King," it is known that in this version there was scene in which Scar wants Nala as his queen, but its storyboard isn't published yet.
Can You Feel the Love Tonight[]
Before the song, Simba was supposed to ask Nala if she wants to stay in the jungle with him, and she asks him to come back to the Pride Rock. However, they don't make any of two decisions. The love song, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," was supposed to have a little dialogue (Simba: "Come in, it's great!" Nala: "Hah! No way!"). Also it was the combination of the song from the previous script and comical version of the song, sung by Timon and Pumbaa, at the end.
Mufasa's Ghost[]
Simba and Nala were supposed to be shown sleeping together, but Simba goes to the walk where he meets Rafiki. The old mandrill at first annoys him, but he soon finds out that Rafiki knew his father. Rafiki leads Simba to a lake, where Simba's reflection turns into Mufasa and he sees his ghost at the sky. The lost dialogue between Rafiki and Simba, in which Rafiki hits Simba with a stick, isn't shown.
The Battle of Pride Rock[]
The scene begins with Simba wondering why he had to return to Pride Rock and doubting himself. However, he recovers and recounts that his father, Mufasa, had told him to remember who he is. As Simba stands atop the rock, waiting to see Scar, his uncle rests in his royal cave. The hyena trio comes to him, moaning about the lack of food and reminding him of his promise of no hunger. Scar lashes out angrily.
Scar calls Sarabi to Pride Rock and demands to know why she and her lionesses are not hunting. She tells him that all the animals are gone because of the hyenas' terrorism and that they have to find another place to live, but Scar refuses to listen. She tells him that Mufasa would never let something like this happen, but he strikes her to the ground. Lightning flashes, and Simba's figure appears atop Pride Rock, shocking Scar and the hyenas. Scar mistakes Simba for Mufasa's ghost and has a panic attack, pleading him for forgiveness and mercy. Simba asks what has happened to his uncle, and Scar finally realizes Simba's identity and shoots a furious look at Shenzi, Banzai and Ed for their failure to kill Simba. While the trio argue about whose fault it is that Simba is still alive, Simba asks Scar why are they here at all, and Scar says that the situation has changed. He then asks Simba how could he come back after keeping his guilty secret for so long. Simba asserts that he is the rightful king, and Scar and the hyenas burst out in laughter. Angry, Simba accuses Scar of having destroyed everything his father stood for, but Scar merely insults Mufasa, calling him "nothing" and a "pompous, arrogant, and overrated fool." In his pride, Scar admits to killing Mufasa and claims it as proof that he is superior to his brother. Simba tries to attack Scar, but the hyenas stop him, and Scar orders them to finish him once and for all, whispering the famous Hamlet line: "Good night, sweet prince!"
When the hyenas jump on Simba to eat him alive, Timon and Pumbaa appear and challenge the hyenas. While Simba breaks free from the battle, Timon and Pumbaa get attacked by the hyenas and are nearly killed. However, Nala and the lionesses fight the hyenas off. As the battle progresses, lighting strikes the Pride Lands, igniting a fire, which begins to engulf Pride Rock. Simba and Scar fight on the peak of the rock, and Scar badly wounds Simba and pins him on his back near the edge of the summit. While his uncle readies for the final attack, Simba says, "You think because you killed my father that you are better than him! Pathetic! Weak! Realize, Scar: you are nothing but a coward!" Scar loses his patience and leaps at Simba, who sends him plummeting off the rock. Scar manages to grab the rock with his claws and begs Simba for help, saying that Simba is not a murderer. Simba believes him and offers him a paw, but Scar grabs his neck and throws him off the rock. Simba falls on a burning tree and survives the fall, while Scar laughs maniacally in victory as the fire consumes and destroys him.
The Ending[]
Rain falls, and the fire is extinguished. Simba looks up at Pride Rock and sighs sadly, mourning his uncle. Then Nala appears out of the smoke, and they find Sarabi, who is still unconscious. She wakes up and embraces with Simba upon seeing him. Soon, all the lionesses, Timon and Pumbaa, and others gather below Pride Rock while Simba ascends and roars, becoming the king formally. A few years later, we see the Pride Lands restored, as well as Sarabi and the other lionesses attending the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub.
"The Lion King" August 1993[]
The 1993 draft script of The Lion King.
The following script was written in August 20, 1993. It consists of scenes much more similar to the final version than the previous forms, with the same fates of the main characters, full song lyrics, and nearly identical dialogue.
Alternate Names[]
- Nala's original name was Nadra.[16]
- Pumbaa's original name was Harold.[16]
Original Characters[]
Scar[]
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It was mentioned by Roger Allers, the co-director of The Lion King, in one of the documentation videos that Scar originally had no relation to the royal family but still desired the throne. After Jeremy Irons' features were worked into Scar, he was changed to be Mufasa's brother because the thought of an "inside threat" was a lot more interesting than a random rogue. This is why Scar and Mufasa differ so much in appearance, despite being full brothers.
Ironically, when they weren't related, Scar had a lot more in common with the Pridelanders and Mufasa, as he had a thick, heavy frame, colorless paws at one point, light eyeshades, a brown Pridelander nose, and even blue-gray eyes like Nala.
Rafiki[]
According to The Lion King co-director Roger Allers, Rafiki was to be depicted as a "crazy hermit monkey." When the story team decided that Rafiki should be far more wacky than wise, actor Robert Guillaume spent an entire day trying to figure out the character's voice and laugh.[18]
Timon and Pumbaa[]
At one point during production, when The Lion King was King of the Jungle, Timon and Pumbaa (named Harold at the time) were meant to be childhood friends of Simba.
Deleted Characters[]
Mufasa's Cubs[]
In an early version of the film, Mufasa was to have two cubs instead of just one. Presumably, one was Simba, but the image never clarifies much about either cub.
Mheetu[]
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In an early draft of the film, Simba found himself growing up with a multitude of friends, one of these being a young cub named Mheetu. Mheetu was Nala's younger brother and part of her gang.
Cape dogs[]
In an early draft of The Lion King, cape dogs appeared alongside Scar as his helpers and minions. Their role was almost identical to that of the hyenas, who replaced them in the final film. In an early version of the script, they aided Scar in his scheme to kill Mheetu and Simba in a wildebeest stampede. They were eventually replaced by Banzai, Ed, and Shenzi.[19]
Bhati, Iggy, and Tesma[]
Bhati, Iggy, and Tesma were originally written to be childhood friends of Simba and Nala's. While Bhati and Iggy were always only friends of the cubs, in King of the Jungle, Tesma is the mate of Timon.
Sarabi's Sisters[]
Early in the film, Sarabi had a sister named Naanda. According to the caption, the two were very experienced hunting partners. In the released script of King of the Jungle, Naanda was written to be Nala's mother, and Mufasa is implied to be her mate, creating an incestous relationship between Simba and Nala as half-siblings as well as first cousins.[20] Diku and Dwala were also present in the script and written to be additional sisters of Sarabi.
Kobi and Prita[]
Kobi and Prita were vultures set to appear in The Lion King. According to their concepts, Prita was the son of Kobi. Their intended roles in the film are unknown.
Baasho and Banagi[]
Baasho is a hyena who serves as Banagi's ally. In both early screenplays, after Mufasa dies, he chases after Simba and fails to kill him. At the end of the January 1990 script, he is banished alongside Banagi to the desert after Simba becomes king. In the May 1990 version, Baasho surrenders to Simba after he defeats Scar and Banagi.
Banagi is another hyena, who, in both early screenplays, is the leader of the hyenas, despite being male. In both screenplays, he is the real mastermind behind Mufasa's death and easily manipulates the rogue, Scar, into becoming his puppet king. In the January 1990 screenplay, he is banished by Simba after he becomes king to the desert along with Baasho. In the May 1990 screenplay, he is defeated by Simba after Simba kills Scar in a duel.
The Meerkats[]
Desma, Mandila, Jamila, Ozina, Mandisa, and Nute are all female meerkat mothers deleted from the final film. They were present in the screenplay of King of the Jungle, written by J.T. Allen and Ron Bass. Their children are not named, and it is likely Desma is a misspelling of Tesma. The meerkats are all allies of Simba and Mufasa.[21]
Scar's python[]
At one point, Scar was to have a pet python who would act as a sidekick.[22]
Original songs[]
"Circle of Life"[]
Originally, the "Circle of Life" sequence was going to have dialogue, but after the filmmakers heard how powerful the music was, the dialogue was thrown out. The music for this scene was originally supposed to sound like an African prayer, and later is changed by "Busa" score.
"Hakuna Matata"[]
During production, another song titled "Warthog Rhapsody" was considered for the scene but was tossed out in favor of "Hakuna Matata" so that the filmmakers could focus not only on Timon and Pumbaa's carefree lifestyle, but also on Simba's neglect for responsibility.[9] Later, an earlier concept of "Hakuna Matata" began with Timon singing, "When I was a young meerkat..." But the filmmakers decided that the song would work better if it was shorter and got to the point right away, so they cut Timon's verse. "Warthog Rhapsody" would later be re-worked for The Lion King 1½ and re-titled "That's All I Need".
"Can you Feel the Love Tonight"[]
Lyrist Tim Rice conceived at least fifteen drafts for the film's love songs.[12] One demo was recorded by Joseph Williams and Sally Dworsky as Simba and Nala respectively, though when the plot was revised so that Simba went into self-exile after his father's death, the lyrics were revised to reflect their reunion while discovering love. After each character sang a verse to one another, the song was later accompanied with a heavenly choir. The song was moved into various places of the movie before being dropped altogether.[12]
Another demo was sung by Timon and Pumbaa, but Elton John disliked the comical nature of the concept, although the ending verse was used for the final film. John later petitioned to studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg to remove the song all together. Because the writers hadn't fleshed out Simba and Nala's relationship as cubs, they wrote in the wrestling scenes, the bath, and the waterhole sequences in an attempt to make their reunion more believable.[23] On his fifteenth draft, Rice opened and closed the song with Timon and Pumbaa, but with Simba, Nala, and the choir singing the midsection.[9]
Deleted songs[]
"To Be King"[]
Mufasa was originally scripted to sing a song titled "To Be King" during the film's early production, but it didn't suit James Earl Jones' bass voice, so it was scrapped.
"The Lion in the Moon"[]
In an earlier version of the film, Sarabi was supposed to sing a song titled, "The Lion in the Moon" after Simba and Nala's encounter with the hyenas. In the song, she sings of a spirit that watches over the Pride Lands and protects its inhabitants. This scene was replaced by Mufasa telling his son about the Great Kings of the Past later on.
"Thanks to Me"[]
In their attempt for a villain song, a song titled "Thanks to Me" was composed for Scar in which he gloated to the hyenas about murdering Mufasa and chasing off Simba.[24] Instead, the filmmakers decided that a better approach to the song would be for Scar to plot his murderous deed. Later, the song was re-titled "Be Prepared."[9]
The Madness of King Scar[]
In the original script, written in 11 September 1992, Scar was supposed to try to flirt with Nala without the song. Later, in the next version of the script, he has sung a short song "The Madness of King Scar."
Reprise of "Be Prepared"[]
In the original script, Scar sang a soliloquy before "Be Prepared" in which he considers recruiting the hyenas as his allies. This was removed in the final version so that the hyenas' previous attack on Simba and Nala could be credited to Scar.[25]
Later on, the song was given a reprise that was cut from the film since a lively musical number after Mufasa's death would seem overkill.[9] Much like the original version, it was sung by Scar and numerous hyenas. In this version, it was sung towards the lionesses who questioned Scar after his failed attempt to seduce Nala.[26]. While that scene was cut, the reprise was quickly moved to after Scar's announcement of his taking the throne afterwards. Despite being cut from the film, the song is used as a reprise in this manner in the stage musical.
Voice Talents[]
Nala[]
Matthew Broderick was cast as adult Simba early during production, and he recorded his dialogue separately with another actress who was playing Nala only to discover that Moira Kelly voiced Nala at the premiere.[27] Kelly herself acknowledged she was not the first choice to voice Nala.[28]
Mufasa[]
The creators originally envisioned Sean Connery as the voice of Mufasa.[29]
Scar[]
Tim Curry and Malcolm McDowell were both considered to voice Scar before the role went to Jeremy Irons.[30]
The Hyenas[]
Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella were originally going to play the roles of the hyenas. Upon meeting each other at the recording studio, the directors laughed at their performance and decided to cast them as Timon and Pumbaa.[31] For the hyenas, the original intention was to reunite Cheech & Chong, but while Cheech Marin accepted to play Banzai, Tommy Chong was unavailable. Thus, his role was changed into a female hyena, Shenzi, who was voiced by Whoopi Goldberg.[32]
Zazu[]
During production of The Lion King, Patrick Stewart, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam were all considered to voice Zazu before animators caught some episodes of Mr. Bean and decided that Rowan Atkinson would be the perfect voice performer.[22][30] According to Don Hahn's memoirs, Nathan Lane auditioned for the role of Zazu as well.[33]
Deleted Lines[]
Shenzi[]
As recorded in Brian Tiemann's version of the script, Shenzi was written to say "Look boys! A king fit for a meal!" before Banzai says, "Kitty-kitty-kitty." For reasons unknown, this line was deleted.[34]
Zazu[]
As Simba descends from Pride Rock after Scar's death, Zazu was originally to have said, "Your majesty!" Because the filmmakers felt it distracted from the solemn music, the line was cut, thus Zazu is seen mouthing the words.[35] Despite this, the line was re-used in the 2019 remake of the film.
Scar[]
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Due to plot adjustment, the intro lines to the music track "Be Prepared" were cut. They were originally a monologue for Scar as he tried to decide whether he should use the hyenas or not. These were cut presumably to allow for the earlier entrapment of the cubs being credited to Scar. The monologue does, however, appear on the soundtrack.[36]
Concept Art[]
References[]
- ↑ The Lion King Diamond Edition (Disc 1), Pride of The Lion King. Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 2011.
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Mouse Under Glass, page 229
- ↑ [1]
- ↑
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Mouse Under Glass, page 228
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑
- ↑ 16.0 16.1
- ↑ The Lion King: Platinum Edition (Disc 2), Story Origins. Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 2003.
- ↑ Schrager, Noah. 10 things you probably didn't know about 'The Lion King'. The Christian Science Moniter.
- ↑ http://concept.lionking.org/characters/capedogs.shtml
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ [3]
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Fallon, Kevin. ‘The Lion King’ Turns 20: Every Crazy, Weird Fact About the Disney Classic. The Daily Beast.
- ↑ Tiemann, Brian. The Lion King Tenth Anniversary Reunion Panel.
- ↑
- ↑ Tiemann, Brian. TLK Script (HTML 3.0 Version).
- ↑ Madness of King Scar/"Be Prepared" Reprise.
- ↑ Kehr, Dave. The Lion Evolves. The New York Times.
- ↑ Moira Kelly Interview: The Lion Queen - Ultimate Disney Talks With the Voice of Nala. Ultimate Disney.
- ↑ The 3D Release of ‘The Lion King’ Reveals Original Secrets. xFinity. Comcast.
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Knolle, Sharon. 'The Lion King': 20 Things You Didn't Know About the Disney Classic. Moviefone. AOL.
- ↑ King, Susan. A 'Lion's' tale. The Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Allers, Roger, Hahn, Don, and Minkoff, Rob (1995). Laserdisc/DVD audio commentary for The Lion King. Walt Disney Home Entertainment.
- ↑ The Lion King: A Memoir - Don Hahn. The Lion King: Diamond Edition. 4 October 2011. Walt Disney Home Entertainment
- ↑ Tiemann, Brian. TLK Script (HTML 3.0 Version).
- ↑ Mouse Under Glass, page 330
- ↑ [4]
