The Lion King director Roger Allers claimed complete unfamiliarity with the series until the movie was nearly completed, and did not remember it being ever mentioned during development. Director Julie Taymor uses breathtaking theatrical magic to bring Disney’s beloved animated feature to life in a production which has thrilled over 110 million people around the world. The voice actors were chosen for how they fit and could add to the characters; for instance, James Earl Jones was cast because the directors found his voice "powerful" and similar to a lion's roar.

We expect the on sale period for this production to be an extremely busy time, however, be patient and you will be able to book tickets. Both offer a clear view of the stage, with the Stalls being close to the action with a gradual slope and the Circle offering more of a picture view of the stage with a steeper rake above those sitting in front of you. The Lion King theatre cast invites you backstage to discover all the breath-taking videos from behind-the-scenes. It is always best to book through our Access phone line 0121 689 1060 when booking assisted performances.

By this point, Woolverton had left the production to work on the Broadway adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.

It held the record for the highest-grossing animated feature film (in North America, outside North America, and worldwide) until it was surpassed by the computer-animated Finding Nemo (2003). English actors Tim Curry, Malcolm McDowell, Alan Rickman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen were considered for the role of Scar, [47] which eventually went to fellow Englishman Jeremy Irons.For five years, the film held the record for having the highest opening weekend for an animated film until it was surpassed by Toy Story 2 (1999). Set in a kingdom of lions in Africa, The Lion King tells the story of Simba (Swahili for lion), a lion cub who is to succeed his father, Mufasa, as King of the Pride Lands; however, after his paternal uncle Scar kills Mufasa to seize the throne, Simba is tricked into believing he was responsible for his father's death and flees into exile. Five specially trained animators and technicians spent more than two years creating the two-and-a-half-minute stampede. Years later, an adult Simba rescues Timon and Pumbaa from a hungry lioness, who turns out to be Nala.

The birth of lion cub and future King, Simba, is a time of huge celebration, but his wicked uncle, is determined to make sure Simba never claims the throne. The film chronicles the story of a young African king who undergoes a "transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity" to reclaim his throne, utilizing the guidance of his ancestors and childhood love, with the story being told through the voices of present-day Black people. The Square Enix series Kingdom Hearts features Simba as a recurring summon, [264] [265] as well as a playable in the Lion King world, known as Pride Lands, in Kingdom Hearts II. The pitch for the story was a lion cub gets framed for murder by his uncle set to the music of Elton John. Mufasa was older and would someday be king, so Ahadi spent hours with him, teaching Mufasa what he would need to know.

The Lion King original motion picture soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on April 27, 1994. Children will love hearing the fun rhyming poems about the stars of The Lion King, Tarzan, and The Jungle Book. All persons aged 16 or under must be accompanied by an adult and may not sit on their own within the auditorium. self-published source] Most of the leading animators either were doing their first major work supervising a character, or had much interest in animating an animal.

Instead of finding his family tree, he finds himself up a tree, prisoner of a flock of hungry, cub-napping vultures. Simba would not only leave the kingdom but become a "lazy, slovenly, horrible character" due to manipulations from Scar, so Simba could be overthrown after coming of age. After its initial box-office success, many theaters decided to continue to show the film for more than two weeks, even though its 3D Blu-ray release was scheduled for two-and-a-half weeks after its theatrical release.For dates of audio-described, captioned or British Sign Language (BSL) interpreted performances, please see below.