30 years ago, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Lion King roared into movie theaters on its way to becoming one of the most successful franchises of all time, across film, live theater, streaming, experiences, and more.
From the 1994 classic, all the way to 2024’s Mufasa: The Lion King, and with more experiences to come, there are many ways that The Lion King has leapt into the hearts of fans around the world.
Academy Award® winner Barry Jenkins, the director of Mufasa noted that “there are very few things that have that level of penetration across languages, across cultures” like The Lion King.
“The thing that The Lion King does that I think makes it translatable across cultures, across language barriers, is this honesty of the way it deals with the human condition,” Jenkins said.
His new film was able to utilize stunning digital technology that was implemented previously in 2019’s The Lion King. That film, which reintroduced the franchise to a new generation, went on to earn over $1.6 billion at the global box office becoming one of the most successful films of all time.
“To create something this meaningful, that has so much staying power, even 30 years later, and resonates all across the globe, is something only Disney can do,” Rebecca Cline, Director of the Walt Disney Archives, said about The Lion King franchise.
1994’s The Lion King was not only a box office blockbuster and a critical success — winning two Academy Awards® — but it laid the groundwork for the innovative The Lion King musical to become a smash hit on Broadway in 1997, winning 6 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical. The original production is in its 27th year on Broadway and its global productions have welcomed over 112 million guests.
“The Lion King is probably the most successful musical ever to be launched around the world,” Thomas Schumacher, Chief Creative Officer of Disney Theatrical Productions, said. “29 different productions, 24 countries, every continent except Antarctica.”
And The Lion King doesn’t only have to be experienced in person at a stage show. There’s Festival of The Lion King at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, characters appear in parades and shows throughout Disney Experiences, and — for the first time ever — a ride-through attraction inspired by The Lion King (1994) is coming to Disneyland Paris.
“Disney takes franchises to completely new levels, and it allows us to think about the success of these franchises in generations,” Emily Kaplan, Franchise Planning Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering, said. “I think that’s what differentiates us and really sets us apart.”
Mufasa: The Lion King hits theaters December 20, and both the 1994 and 2019 versions of The Lion King are available to stream on Disney+.
