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| King of the Jungle (1991 draft) | |
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| General information | |
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1991 |
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King of the Jungle is an early treatment for what would become The Lion King. It was written by Linda Woolverton and dated 1991.[1]
Ideas[]
- Simba grows up with several friends, including Nadra, Mheetu, Bhati, Timon, and Harold. The young animals frequently play "King of the Hill," or "Kopje."[2]
- As Simba grows into an adolescent, he remains too preoccupied with his love for Nadra to listen to his father Mufasa's advice on being king.[2]
- Scar lures Mheetu into a stampede, and Simba tries to save him. Mufasa ends up saving both young lions.[2]
- Mufasa saves Simba from a flood rather than a stampede.[2]
- Scar is a rogue in league with the hyenas.[2]
- One day, Simba refuses to go on patrol with Mufasa. Alone, Mufasa gets attacked and killed by Scar. With Mufasa dead, Scar becomes the king, and Simba will assume the throne once he is old enough. However, when the time comes, Scar denounces Simba as unfit to rule.[2]
- Rafiki accuses Scar of murder, and Scar orders his hyenas to chase Simba and Rafiki out of the kingdom. The two take refuge with Timon and his family, and Rafiki trains Simba to take back his kingdom.[2]
- Pumbaa was an elephant rather than a warthog.[1]
Trivia[]
- According to Brenda Chapman, screenwriter Linda Woolverton intended for Simba to be a slovenly, lazy character who did not deserve the throne. Chapman believed that this made it hard for the audience to like Simba.[1]