Jump to content

Simba

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Simba
The Lion King character
Simba, as he appears as an adult in the original film and related media
First appearanceThe Lion King (1994)
Created by
Voiced by
Inspired by
In-universe information
SpeciesLion (Panthera leo)
Family
  • Mufasa (father)
  • Sarabi (mother)
  • Sarafina (mother-in-law)
  • Kovu (son-in-law)
  • Rani (daughter-in-law)
  • Scar (paternal uncle)
  • Ahadi (paternal grandfather; in Six New Adventures)
  • Uru (paternal grandmother; in Six New Adventures)
  • Mohatu (paternal great-grandfather; in The Brightest Star)
  • Bunga (adoptive brother)
SpouseNala (wife)
Children

Simba[1][2] is a fictional character in Disney's The Lion King franchise. First appearing as a lion cub in The Lion King (1994), the character flees his homeland when his father, King Mufasa, is killed by his treacherous uncle, Scar. Several years later, Simba returns home as an adult to reconcile his childhood trauma, confront Scar, and reclaim his rightful place as King of the Pride Lands. He subsequently appears in sequels the The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1½. Simba was originally voiced by actors Matthew Broderick and Jonathan Taylor Thomas as an adult and cub, respectively; various actors have voiced the character in sequels, spin-offs, and related media.

Created by screenwriters Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton, Simba underwent several changes as the film's story was revised, including making him a more sympathetic character, and notably establishing his familial relation to Scar. Although conceived as an original character, Simba was inspired by Moses and Joseph from the Bible, and Prince Hamlet from William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Despite sharing several similarities with the title character from the anime television series Kimba the White Lion, Disney claims Simba was not inspired by Kimba. Mark Henn and Ruben A. Aquino were supervising animators for the cub and adult Simba, respectively, with both animators researching live lions and drawing inspiration from the character's voice actors.

Simba has received a mixed reception from film critics, some of whom praised his design but found him uninteresting as a main character. However, several publications have ranked Simba among Disney's most iconic characters, and consider him to be one of the most famous lions in popular culture. The character's likeness has been used in several tie-in products, including merchandise, television series, and video games. In 1997, The Lion King actors Scott Irby-Ranniar and Jason Raize originated the role on Broadway. In 2019, Donald Glover and JD McCrary voiced the character in a photorealistic remake of the film.

Development

[edit]

Creation

[edit]

The Lion King was conceived in 1988.[3] Although considered an original story[4][5][note 1] that follows a young lion, Simba, becoming an adult and learning to take responsibility for his actions,[10][11] the film's creators drew inspiration for the character from various sources, namely several coming-of-age stories and the biblical figures Moses and Joseph.[12][13] The film underwent several title changes, one of the earliest of which was King of the Jungle.[14] According to producer Don Hahn, this title was intended to serve as an allegory about Simba needing to survive and grow up in both a literal and metaphorical jungle.[15] However, they renamed it The Lion King upon realizing lions don't live in jungles, and wanting to shift focus to a simpler story about a lion becoming king.[16] Some filmmakers nicknamed the film "Bambi in Africa" due to similarities between The Lion King and Disney's own Bambi (1942).[17] The name "Simba" is the Swahili word for "lion".[18][19] Unlike Disney's three previous romantic films The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Aladdin (1992), The Lion King focuses on Simba's relationship with his father.[20]

In April 1992, the filmmakers hosted a "brainstorming session" in which much of the film, including Simba's personality, was re-written.[20] Story supervisor Brenda Chapman realized they had written a proud, unlikeable character.[21] Originally, Simba was intended to remain with his pride after Mufasa's death until this was revised to make him a more sympathetic character.[20] Additionally, one of the earliest iterations of Scar was a rogue lion unrelated to Simba,[15] whereas Simba was meant to be raised by Scar in another version.[22][23] According to Disney Theatrical Group president Tom Schumacher, Scar was planned to kill Simba and Mufasa at the same time, only for other characters to mistake him for saving Simba from the stampede.[24] Instead of meeting Timon and Pumbaa, this version of Simba would have grown up a slacker under Scar's reign, making him easier to overthrow.[25][26] A short scene depicting a young Simba wandering the desert before meeting Timon and Pumbaa was also cut.[27]

Screenwriter Linda Woolverton, one of the writers credited with creating the character,[28] joined the film to revise its screenplay, which included providing Simba with a stronger adversary by changing the rogue lion into Simba's uncle.[29] She felt the change contributed more Shakespearean elements to the story.[29] The character has often been compared to Prince Hamlet from William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet.[30] In an earlier version of the script, Simba was meant to lose his final fight to Scar, being thrown from Pride Rock before his uncle ultimately dies in a fire.[15][31][32] Nala's younger brother Mheetu, who Simba was to have rescued from a stampede, was also written out of the film,[15] as well as a trio of Simba's childhood friends.[33] For a while, the story team struggled to come up with a convincing reason as to why Simba would believe he was responsible for Mufasa's death, without killing him.[34] Story artist Chris Sanders explained that the key to this was eventually accepting that a young child in an extremely emotional state would simply believe what their uncle told them.[34]

Addressing online speculation that Simba and Nala could potentially be related since Mufasa and Scar are the only adult male lions identified in the film, Woolverton acknowledged that although it is possible, she had never written Simba and Nala as cousins or siblings.[35] Although Woolverton admitted that songs such as "Hakuna Matata" were non-essential to the plot and arrived later during the writing process, she confirmed that it helps demonstrate Simba during his "lost boy" phase.[36] Some of Disney's marketing team doubted Simba's marketability, since most of Disney's lead characters at the time were female or princesses.[37]

Voice

[edit]

Actor Matthew Broderick provided the speaking voice of adult Simba.[33] The first actor cast for The Lion King,[5] Broderick learned that Disney was interested in him for the lead role while he was vacationing in Ireland,[38] to where Disney sent him sketches of Simba.[39] The filmmakers hired him based on his performance in the teen comedy film Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986).[38][40] According to Hahn, Broderick was cast because his voice invoked a character who could be irresponsible yet likeable enough to redeem himself "in a very heroic way".[41] Minkoff recalled that the actor was able to humanize the character, preventing the hero from "becoming 2-dimensional" using a combination of sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and humor.[20] The actor also lowered his pitch slightly to establish Simba's maturity once he decides to become king.[42] Having been involved in the film since early development,[38] Broderick said he had always assumed The Lion King was an adaptation of Hamlet,[23] elements of which were most prominent when he was first cast.[38] Broderick worked on the film on-and-off for two-three years,[43][33] often re-recording his work to match what the animators had drawn several months later.[38] Although Broderick recorded most of his lines alone, he briefly recorded with an actress who had originally been cast as Nala until she was ultimately replaced with Moira Kelly, which Broderick only learned had happened at the film's premiere.[38] The actor said he sometimes felt left out when recording his lines, which were more somber in comparison to the film's supporting cast.[40]

Matthew Broderick voiced the adult Simba.

Disney auditioned dozens of child actors for the role of young Simba, searching for an actor who could embody "a scrappy young kid".[44] Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas was cast as the speaking voice of young Simba.[45][46] He was 12 years-old at the time.[47] Thomas did not alter his voice for the character,[44] but simply spoke "with a real kid spirit" since Simba had been described to him by the film's directors as "energetically cocky".[47] Thomas recorded his lines in hour-long sessions over the course of a year and a half.[48] Because he was working by himself, he improvised much of what other characters were supposed to be saying to his character due to the lack of other actors on set.[49][48] Due to his busy schedule, Thomas recorded some his dialogue on the Home Improvement set, the sitcom on which he was starring at the time,[48] since both productions were filmed on Disney's Burbank lot.[44] His recording sessions were video recorded, which animators used to incorporate some of Thomas' expressions and mannerisms into their drawings,[48][50] namely the actor's "sly smile".[49] His appearance and personality served as creative inspiration for supervising animator Mark Henn in particular.[4] The actor found Simba's curiosity similar to his own.[48] He also likened Simba to his Home Improvement character Randy Taylor, describing both as curious, intuitive, confident, and quick-witted.[49] Hahn recalled "rough[ing Thomas] up" during certain recording sessions when his character was intended to sound active or out of breath, in order to deliver a convincing performance.[44]

Although Broderick recorded his character's songs twice, the studio opted not to use his vocals in the final film, which the actor attributed to Disney being interested in a poppier sound than he was capable of delivering.[51] Toto lead singer Joseph Williams and actor Jason Weaver provided the singing voices of adult and young Simba, respectively.[52] Williams was originally hired to record all of Aladdin's vocals.[53] However, Aladdin's songwriters preferred a more theatrical voice over Williams', and ultimately replaced him with actor Brad Kane.[53] Several months later, Disney's music supervisor Chris Montan invited Williams back to record some demos, which ultimately became the songs used in The Lion King.[54] Although Williams speculated that he would be replaced similar to Aladdin, all of his vocals were retained in the final film.[53] Williams claims Broderick was upset that Disney had decided to dub him.[55] He recorded "Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight" for the film.[56]

Impressed by Weaver's performance as a young Michael Jackson in the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992), songwriters Elton John and Tim Rice recruited him to record "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" and "Hakuna Matata" while The Lion King was still in its early stages and little animation had been completed.[57][58] Weaver recorded "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" only a few days after completing the miniseries, with John in particular vouching for his involvement in The Lion King.[59] Impressed by his performance, the directors considered offering Weaver the speaking role as well before learning that negotiations with Thomas had already been finalized.[60] Disney originally offered Weaver $2 million USD for his work on The Lion King, but Weaver's mother declined in favor of a deal securing $100,000 upfront and lifetime royalties.[61][62] Weaver receives a portion of the film's revenue every time it is re-released, and his total earnings have since exceeded Disney's initial offer.[63] Voice actor Frank Welker provided the roars of adult Simba and all other lions, simulating the effect using a trash can.[64]

Personality and design

[edit]

Disney has long denied that The Lion King is based on the anime series Kimba the White Lion, despite similarities between the names "Simba" and "Kimba", as well as some concept drawings depicting Simba as a white lion.[65][66] The studio maintains that any parallels are coincidental.[67][68] However, Broderick claims he thought he had originally been cast in an American remake of Kimba because the characters seemed so similar at first.[69] Because Disney was prioritizing Pocahontas (1995) over The Lion King, the former of which most of their experienced animators gravitated towards since the studio considered it the more promising of the two films,[70][71] Simba was one of the few Lion King characters animated at the studio's main California location.[21] This proved challenging for the production team, since Simba shares several scenes with characters who were animated in Florida.[21]

Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas voiced young Simba and served as visual inspiration for his animators.

The role of Simba's supervising animator was divided between Ruben A. Aquino and Mark Henn, the former of whom was the first animator hired for The Lion King.[20] Henn served as the supervising animator of Simba as a cub,[72] and Aquino animated him as an adult.[73][74] Aquino and Henn worked on the character from Disney's California and Florida studios, respectively.[10] According to Aquino, animating four-legged creatures is difficult because artists are required to draw twice as many legs as human characters, while still incorporating human-like qualities.[75] For assistance, Aquino drew inspiration from Disney's previous animal films such as Bambi, Lady and the Tramp (1955), and The Jungle Book (1967).[75] Aquino based his early drawings of Simba on Broderick,[76] whose voice he said offers the character "a lot of humor and vulnerability ... which really gave me something to go on and made it easier for me to flesh out my performance".[75] Aquino would quietly sketch Broderick live during his sessions, which would end up informing each other's performances.[39] Because the adult version of the character is introduced mildly depressed, Aquino originally drew him with sad, soulful eyes and a disheveled mane, but redesigned him to look more heroic at Hahn's request.[76] As a result, Simba ended up resembling Mufasa.[76] To make sure the character looked believable, Aquino studied live lions loaned to the studio and consulted with zoologists.[76]

Henn animated Simba's scenes from the beginning of the film until approximately the "Hakuna Matata" sequence,[77] including Simba's first appearance as an adult towards the end of the musical number.[10] Before The Lion King, his experience as a supervising animator was limited to predominantly female characters, having previously worked on Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989), Belle from Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Jasmine from Aladdin (1992).[10][78][79] He initially campaigned heavily to animate the film's villain, Scar, because he wanted to do something different than the princesses he had become known for,[10][80] but Hahn convinced him to work on Simba due to his experience with main characters.[81] Hahn reminded Henn that the success of the entire film hinges on Simba's design, since he is considered the most important character in The Lion King,[10][80] and the animator found it a welcome departure from leading ladies nonetheless.[81] Aside from Andreas Deja who ultimately animated Scar, Henn was the most tenured animator on The Lion King, whose roster mostly consisted of newer or first-time animators.[81] Simba proved to be a challenge because Henn was tasked with creating an animated character who would both appear and behave like a real lion cub for the first time.[82] To achieve believability, Henn visited zoos, studied live lion cubs that were loaned to the studio for research, and consulted with wildlife professionals.[82] Henn maintained that animators can not simply use their cats as reference models due to their different anatomies.[78] Recalling their efforts to make his character as realistic as possible, Henn said that, unlike domestic cats, lion cubs “have a power ... underlying that seemingly soft exterior".[50] He was also responsible for making sure Simba's appearance remained consistent between himself, the directors, and other animators.[77]

When it came to animating the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" musical sequence, Henn considered it essential that Simba remain on all-fours, despite the fact that the character is exhibiting human characteristics by dancing.[77] The animators would often observe and film the voice actors' recording sessions, using their mannerisms as visual reference, with Thomas proving particularly influential on Simba's design and personality.[83] Henn described his version of the character as a young, cocky, inexperienced cub who had yet to mature, which he hoped would remind viewers of their younger selves.[10] Compared to adult Simba, Henn described him as "looser" and less physically assured, which allowed him to draw him "a little more awkward, his feet were a little bigger, they could be a little floppier than when he’s an adult".[10] Although Henn and Aquino did not spend much time discussing the character's design with each other, both artists referenced live lions and received input from the same research team to determine how Simba should look and behave.[10] Catherine Hinman of the Orlando Sentinel observed that the animators' extensive research resulted in "a lion cub who moves like his aristocratic cousins on the savannah but acts like the kid down the street".[84] Tom Bancroft, an animator who worked on Simba under Henn, described his supervisor as the fastest animator at Disney at the time, making it difficult for other animators to acquire their own scenes to animate as Henn would typically do them himself.[85] According to the Academy of Art University, Henn's work on Simba "further cemented his place in [animation] history".[72]

Some journalists believe Simba's mane was based on how singer Jon Bon Jovi styled his hair during the 1980s.[18][86][87] Simba spends 55% of his screen time as a cub, and the remaining 45% as an adult lion.[88] At the time of the film's release, Simba had the most screen time of any Disney hero, appearing in 49.71% of the film (or 43 minutes and 51 seconds).[88]

Appearances

[edit]

Films series

[edit]

Simba first appears in The Lion King (1994) as a cub, the son of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi.[89] As Mufasa's heir, Simba is destined to become the next King of the Pride Lands.[90] However, Simba's jealous uncle Scar plots against him in order to seize the throne for himself, killing Mufasa after he rescues Simba from a wildebeest stampede, and convincing Simba that he is responsible for Mufasa's death.[91] Crippled with guilt, Simba flees to the jungle where he befriends Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and warthog duo who raise him and teach him to live the carefree lifestyle,[91][92] but, for some reason, Simba hadn't noticed that he continuously struggles to ignore his past, just for close attention.[93] Years later, Simba's childhood friend Nala finds him and convinces him to return to the Pride Lands, which has grown barren under Scar's rule.[91] After being visited by Rafiki and Mufasa's spirit, who reminds him of his responsibilities, Simba confronts Scar, who finally admits to killing Mufasa, and defeats him, reclaiming his rightful place as king.[94] With order restored, Simba and Nala have a child, ushering in hope for the future of the Pride Lands.[95]

In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), Simba and Nala commemorate the birth of their daughter, Kiara, who Simba is overprotective of since she grows up to be adventurous and rebellious like he was as a cub. Simba discovers that Kiara has visited the forbidden Outlands – home to an enemy pride of Scar's exiled followers known as the Outsiders – and befriended Kovu, the younger son of the pride's leader, Zira. Unbeknownst to them, Zira is grooming Kovu to avenge Scar by usurping Simba. Several years later, Kovu rescues Kiara from a wildfire started by Kovu's siblings, Nuka and Vitani. Simba reluctantly lets Kovu, who claims to have left the Outsiders, live with them, but continues to act coldly towards him. Witnessing Kiara and Kovu's growing friendship, Simba decides to spend a day getting to know Kovu. Realizing that Kovu is beginning to side with Simba due to his feelings for Kiara, Zira ambushes Simba and convinces him that Kovu orchestrated the attack. After narrowly escaping with his life, Simba exiles Kovu and forbids Kiara from seeing him, prompting her to leave. When a battle ensues between the Pride Landers and Outsiders, Kiara and Kovu return to stop them, with Kiara helping Simba and the prides reconcile their differences peacefully. Zira attacks Simba as he is about to accept the Outsiders back into his pride, but he she is intercepted by Kiara, causing the pair of lionesses to tumble over the edge of a cliff. Having landed safely on a ledge, Kiara offers to help Zira, who is struggling to hang on. However, Zira, consumed by resentment, refuses help and falls to her death. Simba finally accepts Kovu into the pride and reconciles with his daughter.[96]

In The Lion King 1½ (2004), Simba appears as a less prominent character because the film's primary focus is on Timon and Pumbaa's behind-the-scenes role and involvement in the events of The Lion King.[97][98] Although the two films technically share the same story and timeline, the plot of The Lion King 1½ focuses more on Timon and Pumbaa. The meerkat and warthog unknowingly coexist alongside Simba, and the story fills in the two characters' backstories and events that led up to their long-lasting friendship, coinciding with and often initiating the events that affect Simba's life during the first film. These events include the commemorative bow that occurs during the opening "Circle of Life" musical number and the collapsing of the animal tower that takes place during "I Just Can't Wait to Be King".[99] The film also explores, in further detail, the relationship among the three characters as Timon and Pumbaa struggle to raise Simba as adoptive "parents" and disapprove of his relationship with Nala, portraying Simba as he grows from an energetic young lion cub, into an incorrigible teenager and, finally, an independent young lion.[100]

The Lion King (2019)

[edit]

On July 19, 2019, Walt Disney Pictures released a CGI of the remake film.[101][102] The film was directed and produced by Jon Favreau and written by Jeff Nathanson.[103] In this film, Donald Glover was cast for the role of adult Simba.[104][105]

Glover said that "[The Lion King is] a timeless story, but [he thinks] the way Favreau has constructed it, it's a very timely story as well" and said that "[he] just wanted to be a part of a global good".[106] The actor had previously worked with Favreau on the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). Glover said that the film will focus more on Simba's time growing up than the original film did, stating that "[Jon] was very keen in making sure we saw [Simba's] transition from boy to man and how hard that can be when there's been a deep trauma".[106] On November 1, 2017, JD McCrary was cast as young Simba.[107] McCrary said that "Donald Glover is so talented that [he] actually did have to take it into consideration, because if Simba is going to grow up to be some sort of figure and you know of it, you have to keep that motive".[106]

Television

[edit]

The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa

[edit]

The success of The Lion King and popularity of its characters led to the production of The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa, an animated spin-off television series starring Timon and Pumbaa,[108] which ran from 1995 to 1999. Simba makes several appearances, including the newly animated wraparound segment in the Around the World with Timon & Pumbaa international VHS tape and DVD, where Timon drags him out to try to revive Pumbaa's lost memory.

In the episode "Congo On Like This", upon discovering that a predator is on the loose, Timon and Pumbaa (especially Timon) suspect that Simba has reverted to his carnivorous nature due to a tarsier's warning, but the tarsier turns out to be a disguised wolf who has spent months trying to lure Timon and Pumbaa away from Simba, therefore turning out to be the real threat. In the episode "Shake Your Djibouti", Timon and Pumbaa are forced to train Simba to protect them from an escaped laboratory monster, fearing that he lost his confidence. Another episode, entitled "Rome Alone", shows Simba having been captured by Romans and is forced to either eat Timon and Pumbaa or get into a gladiatorial battle with another lion named Claudius. In "Once Upon a Timon", Zazu informs Rafiki about Simba's royal reputation being at stake and is concerned about Timon and Pumbaa's influence on him, telling him that Simba still only eats bugs. Simba later arrives to Rafiki's tree to confront Zazu, as Zazu had an appointment with him in which he neglected because he was so invested in Rafiki's story of Timon's past, but persuades Rafiki to finish telling the tale.

Simba also makes brief appearances in "Zazu's Off-By-One Day" and "Beethoven's Whiff". He also appears in the music video segment "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".

The Lion Guard

[edit]

In January 2016, a new series called The Lion Guard premiered, following a television pilot film The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar in November 2015. Set within the time gap in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride[109] (except the final episode titled "Return to The Pride Lands," which takes place after the film), it features Kion who is the son and youngest child of Simba and Nala, who as the second-born cub, is tasked with assembling a team to protect the Pride Lands.[110]

The series shows Simba doing several royal duties, such as attending a funeral for his wise old elephant friend Aminifu, holding a "Savannah Summit" so that the other leaders within the Pride Lands can discuss unity between the diverse species and the future of the kingdom, and maintain relations to the Pride Lands' neighboring kingdoms. He also temporarily becomes the leader of the Lion Guard in the episode "The Trail to Udugu" as Kion goes on a journey with Nala and Kiara.

Other television series

[edit]

Simba was featured as a guest in the animated series House of Mouse, in which he alternates between being a cub and an adult.

Broadway musical

[edit]

The success of The Lion King led to the production of a Broadway musical based on the film. Directed by Julie Taymor, with a book by Irene Mecchi and Roger Allers, The Lion King premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre on November 13, 1997, where it ran for nine years until being moved to the Minskoff Theatre on June 13, 2006.[111] The role of Simba was originated by Scott Irby-Ranniar and Jason Raize, with Irby-Ranniar portraying young Simba and Raize portraying adult Simba.[112]

Raize auditioned for the role of adult Simba after hearing that Taymor was looking to cast an actor who was of "unidentifiable ethnicity."[113] Raize revealed in an interview that there was a lot of competition for the role because the musical required "triple-threat work – singing, dancing and acting – that you don't get to such an extent in other shows. It was more the sense of who can take the challenge and not be daunted by the task." Raize, who instantly felt that he "had a connection with Simba," eventually won the role with the approval of Taymor and choreographer Garth Fagan,[114] with Fagan admiring the fact that Raize was "willing to try, to fail, and then to try again."[115] Once cast, Raize found it difficult to maintain Taymor's "sense of duality" because Simba is "both man and beast." He said, "The tendency is to sacrifice one for the other, but you can't."[116] Although hundreds of children auditioned for the role of young Simba,[117] the casting process was far less grueling for Irby-Ranniar who, according to Taymor, simply "walked in and he had the part."[118]

Miscellaneous

[edit]

Books

[edit]

In 1994, a six-volume book set titled The Lion King: Six New Adventures were released. Set after the events of the first film, they featured a cub named Kopa, who was the son of Simba and Nala.

Merchandising and video games

[edit]

As an part of the franchise's merchandising, Simba has appeared in various The Lion King-related products.[119] The character's likeness has been used in and adapted into a variety of items, including plush toys and figurines, clothing, bedding, household decor, and appliances.[120] The success of the stage musical has also led to its own line of merchandising,[121] including the Simba beanbag doll, based on the character's appearance and costume in the Broadway show.[122][123]

Since the film's 1994 debut, Simba has appeared as a playable character in several video games, both directly and indirectly associated with the Lion King franchise. The character's first appearance as a video game character was in The Lion King (1994),[124] which follows the plot of the original film and features Simba as both a cub and an adult.[125] Simba appears in The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure (2000),[126][127] which encompasses 10 levels that incorporate the plot of both The Lion King and The Lion King II: Simba's Pride as "Simba ... matures from a precocious cub to an adult lion".[128]

In the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise, Simba appears as a friend and ally of the series' main character, Sora, in Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts III, and as a companion in battle in Kingdom Hearts II.[129][130][131][132][133]

Simba also appears as a playable character in Disney Interactive Studios' Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure, released on September 3, 2003, for Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox,[134]

Simba is one of the central characters in Disney Friends, released for Nintendo DS on February 26, 2008, where the player can interact with him.[135]

Simba is a playable character to unlock for a limited time in Disney Magic Kingdoms.[136]

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

[edit]

Live versions of Simba appear in the Lion King musical and in the parades and shows at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Simba was also the main character in "Legend of the Lion King," a former Fantasyland attraction in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, which retold the story of the film using fully articulated puppets. Other Disney attractions that have featured Simba include the Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D show and the Hong Kong Disneyland version of It's a Small World.

He appeared as one of the main characters at Epcot's Land Pavilion 12-minute edutainment film Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, until its closure in 2018. He currently appears in animatronic form in Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Critical reception

[edit]

Reception towards Simba has been generally mixed. The Christian Science Monitor's David Sterritt hailed him as "a superbly realized character".[137] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly described Simba as "marvelously expressive", to the point where he appears to be more human-like than Aladdin and The Little Mermaid's human characters.[138] In a review for The Fresno Bee, author John Scalzi called Simba "the cutest little lion club you'd ever care to see",[92] and film critic Roger Ebert described him as "cute" several times throughout his review of the film.[139] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone and About.com's David Nusair were moved by Simba's relationship with Mufasa.[140][141] James Berardinelli of ReelViews enjoyed that the film prioritizes Simba's personal growth over his romantic relationship with Nala, but found Broderick's performance "nondescript".[142]

Some critics complimented Simba's design.

Vox described Simba as "the least compelling character in The Lion King", acknowledging this might be a controversial opinion.[143] Hal Hinson of The Washington Post gave the character a negative review, questioning Simba as a hero and nicknaming him "the Lion Country incarnation of Fabio".[144] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said Simba was outshone by his sidekicks, describing him as "irritatingly callow".[145] Joshua Starnes of ComingSoon.net panned Simba as a main character, describing him as the film's "weak link being both blandly designed and blandly performed".[146] Acknowledging the character's Shakespearean roots, The Baltimore Sun's Stephen Hunter called Simba a less compelling version of Hamlet, Morris the Cat, and Sylvester the Cat.[147] Hunter also found adult Simba to be even less interesting than young Simba,[147] while film critic Gene Siskel found the character boring.[148] Johnny Brayson of Bustle described Simba as "not as great as you remember" despite the character's popularity, criticizing his privileged upbringing, arrogance, and immaturity.[149] Jonathan Allford of The Guardian called Simba "a happy, slightly dislikable lion cub".[150] In 2022, Rachel Ulatowski of Screen Rant wrote that despite differing opinions about the character, "Audiences cannot deny that Simba's design perfectly embodies his role as the tragic hero" with "an intriguing appearance that is heroic, bold, charming, but also weary and disheveled at times. The contrasting elements paint him perfectly as an exiled prince who has been through tragedy in his life".[151]

Despite the character's mixed reviews, several critics have praised Broderick's performance,[152][153][154] including The Washington Post's Desson Howe.[155] Annette Basile of FilmInk described Broderick as "excellent" in the role,[156] while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called him "sumptuous".[157] Digital Spy's Mayer Nissim described Broderick's work as "wonderful".[158] Several critics and publications have ranked The Lion King among his best films and performances.[159][160] According to the actor's biography on PBS, Broderick's work in the film and its sequels ironically delivered him "his greatest screen success (to date) in relative anonymity".[161] Gold Derby said the film earned Broderick legions of younger fans, ranking it his sixth best film.[42] MovieWeb ranked Simba the greatest performance of Thomas' career, praising his "wide range of emotions".[162] However, Janet M. Walker of the New York Amsterdam News criticized Disney for casting white actors as Simba,[163] considering his parents are voiced by Black actors James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair.[164] Christopher Null of Contactmusic.com panned Weaver's performance, likening his singing to Michael Jackson and saying "You almost don't want him to succeed".[154]

When the film was released, some viewers alleged that during one of Simba's scenes, he creates a dust cloud that appears to spell the word "SEX" in the night sky.[165][166] In a lawsuit filed against Disney in Texas, the studio was accused of including sexual subliminal messages in a family-oriented film,[167] while Catholic activist organization American Life League demanded an apology for including sexual material in its films.[168] Animator Tom Sito claims the letters actually spelled "SFX", an abbreviation for special effects, and was an easter egg animated by the film's special effects department.[169] Beginning in 2002, the letters were edited out of re-releases of The Lion King, and replaced with standard dust clouds.[165]

Legacy

[edit]

Impact and popularity

[edit]

According to a Vox writer, Simba is not as iconic as Scar or Mufasa, which they attributed to the character's perceived lack of agency and tendency to rely on instructions from other characters.[143] Contrarily, Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly described Simba as an iconic character who has "spent nearly a quarter century etched into pop culture".[170] Chhavi Puri of Pinkvilla said characters such as Simba "defined our childhood".[171] The same publication named Simba the second-best Disney character of all-time and "undoubtedly one of the best male Disney characters",[172] while The A.V. Club ranked him 29th.[173] According Toons Mag, Simba is one of the 10 best Disney cartoon characters of all time and "one of Disney's most significant characters".[174] Looper ranked Simba Disney's 37th best character of all-time.[175] Variety named Simba one of Disney's 25 most iconic characters.[50] According to Arunkumar Sekhar of Cinema Express and Rachel Ulatowski of Screen Rant, Simba is one of the studio's most iconic animated characters.[151][176] In a 1995 article ranking "The most powerful people in entertainment", Entertainment Weekly likened Disney chairman Michael Eisner's success story to that of Simba.[177] Publications such as World Animal Protection, the Los Angeles Times, Wilmington Star-News, and the Birmingham Mail consider Simba to be one of the most famous lions in popular culture.[178][179][180][181] Richard Fink of MovieWeb declared him "the most famous lion in all of cinema".[182]

Charlotte Cripps of The Independent ranked Simba Disney's second best role-model for children.[183] Comic Book Resources ranked Simba Disney's 12th most likeable prince character, due to his relatability.[184] Collider ranked Simba The Lion King's fourth-best character,[185] as well as the best protagonist of the Disney Renaissance.[186] Contributor Tyler B. Searle said Simba "has one of the strongest character arcs of any Disney protagonist".[185] Writing for the same publication, Anas Yamin said Simba has the best character development of all Disney main characters.[187] Comic Book Resources ranked Simba eighth in their ranking, including him among "some of the most beloved and iconic main characters in animation history".[188]

Simba's appearance has also generated online debates discussing whether it is appropriate for fans to consider the character attractive, because he is a cartoon lion.[189][190][191][192][193][194][195] Several publications, such as Refinery 29, HuffPost, Seventeen, The Edge, YourTango, The Daily Edge, Pride, and Thought Catalog, included Simba in listicles about their most memorable "cartoon crushes",[196][197][198][199][200][201][202][203] while Elle ranked him the fourth most attractive Disney prince.[204] Polygon ranked Simba the sixth "hottest animated animal character",[205] and Mashable ranked him eighth.[206] Refinery29's Anne Cohen lamented that the 2019 remake lacks the "Hot Simba Energy" of the original film.[207] Kayla Cobb of Decider theorized that Disney wanted audiences to know that "in the lion world, Simba is a babe" by drawing him with traditionally attractive and masculine features.[208] Louis Costello, a writer for Pedestrian, said "yes it’s okay to be attracted to adult Simba and yes you’re not the only one".[209] In 2019, the pop culture website Punkee published an article asking readers "Why Are We All So Thirsty For Simba?", which author Jenna Guillaume attributed to the character's long mane, smile, "flirty eyebrow raise", and Broderick's voice.[210] Senior lecturer Dr. Lauren Rosewarne theorized that Simba's story and character development throughout The Lion King offers several opportunities for viewers to find him attractive, progressing from wounded, ostracized cub to “potentially offers a bad boy, and then the hero appeal that some audiences will be drawn to".[210]

Pop culture references

[edit]

During the film's opening song, "Circle of Life", Rafiki introduces a newborn Simba to a large crowd of onlooking animals gathered at the foot of Pride Rock by standing towards the edge and holding the cub high above their heads, while Mufasa and Sarabi observe from behind them.[13] The scene is considered to be one of the most famous from The Lion King,[211][212][213] and has been parodied in several projects since the film's release.[214] Several fans have recreated the image using their own children or pets,[215][216] including, controversially, singer Michael Jackson in 1992,[217][218] and Brendan Fraser at the end of the film George of the Jungle (1997).[219][220] During the third season finale of Once Upon a Time, the main character Emma Swan asked her parents Snow White and David Nolan if they were going to hold up her yet unnamed baby brother like in The Lion King.[221]

Since the release of The Lion King in 1994, the name "Simba" has increased in use and popularity among pet owners, specifically dogs and cats.[222][223] According to Comcast in 2010, the use of Simba as a dog name reemerged in popularity in 2009 after experiencing a noticeable decline in 2001, ranking the name ninth out of 10 on its list of "Top 10 Trendiest Dog Names of the Year".[224] In May 2013, Yahoo! Lifestyle included the name on its list of "Trendiest Dog Names".[225] According to YouPet, Simba is the 17th most popular cat name out of 100 candidates.[226] Care2 included Simba in its article "All-around Cool Cat Names,"[227] while DutchNews.nl reported that Simba ranks among the country's most popular cat names as of July 2013.[228] In its list of "Top Popular Pet Names," BabyNames.com placed Simba at number 64 on its list of most popular dog names out of the 100 that were considered.[229] Yahoo! News UK reported that Simba was one of the most popular pet names in Britain in 2016.[230] Corresponding with the Lion King remake in 2019, Simba was that year's most popular male cat name.[231] According to Daily Hive, Simba ranked among Toronto's 10 most popular dog names in 2021.[232]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Disney has stated that The Lion King was their first "original" animated film, in the sense that its story is not directly based on or adapted from any pre-existing work or material.[6][7] Although loosely inspired by and sharing several similarities with William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, The Lion King is not considered to be an adaptation of the play.[8][9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Smith, Dave. "Simba". Disney Archives. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  2. ^ "Simba". D23. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  3. ^ Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. United States: Chicago Review Press. pp. 145–146. ISBN 9781569762226. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Carnevale, Rob (October 6, 2011). "The Lion King 3D – Don Hahn interview". Orange UK. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "The Lion King 3D – Don Hahn interview". IndieLondon. 2011. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  6. ^ Nyman, Shane (February 7, 2019). "25 things you (probably) don't know about Disney's 'Lion King,' which turns 25 this year". The Post-Crescent. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Bradley, Bill (January 27, 2015). "Was 'The Lion King' Copied From A Japanese Cartoon? Here's The Real Story". HuffPost. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  8. ^ Fischer, William (June 22, 2022). "Just How Deep Is 'The Lion King's' Debt To 'Hamlet?'". Collider. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  9. ^ Vincenty, Samantha (July 12, 2019). "The Lion King's Surprising Connections to Hamlet". Oprah Daily. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2024. "Based on," no. But it's thematic similarities are undeniable.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Noyer, Jérémie (January 8, 2010). "The Princess and the Frog's Supervising Animator Mark Henn – Part 2: The "Disney Decade"". Animated Views. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  11. ^ Paluso, Marianne (March 14, 2012). "Interview: Don Hahn, producer of "The Lion King" and "Chimpanzee"". The Trades. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  12. ^ "Roundtable Interview: The Lion King". Blu-ray.com. September 28, 2011. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  13. ^ a b Bonanno, Luke (September 27, 2011). "Interview: Don Hahn, Producer of The Lion King". DVDizzy.com. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  14. ^ "10 things you don't know about Lion King". The Philippine Star. November 28, 2011. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d Baker, Craig S. (July 1, 2019). "25 Surprising Facts About 'The Lion King'". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  16. ^ "The Original Names Of 10 Huge Hollywood Movies". Business Insider India. July 26, 2021. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  17. ^ Noyer, Jérémie (September 30, 2011). "Lion King D-rectors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff: 2D's for a 3D hit!". Animated Views. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  18. ^ a b Gray, Ali (June 13, 2014). "The Lion King: 20 Things Might Not Know". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  19. ^ Baxter-Wright, Dusty (July 26, 2016). "21 things you didn't know about The Lion King". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c d e ""The Lion King" – Production Information". The Lion King WWW Archive. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  21. ^ a b c Sim, Bernardo (July 22, 2019). "The Lion King: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Simba". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  22. ^ Bradley, Laura (July 19, 2019). "Inside Mufasa's Lion King Death Scene, a Tearjerker for the Ages". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Rawden, Jessica (August 7, 2017). "Apparently, Scar Was Originally Supposed To Raise Simba In The Lion King". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  24. ^ Griffiths, Emmy (July 25, 2019). "The original ending of the Lion King was too dark for the remake". Hello!. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  25. ^ Lorusso, Billy (August 8, 2017). "The Original Plan For Simba In 'The Lion King' Will Literally Blow Your Mind". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  26. ^ Radulovic, Petrana (July 16, 2019). "The curious case of dust in The Lion King". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  27. ^ Acuna, Kirsten (November 23, 2018). "17 things you probably didn't know about the making of 'The Lion King'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  28. ^ Abramovitch, Seth (December 3, 2018). "Original 'Lion King' Screenwriter Apprehensive of Remake: "I Wasn't Thrilled With 'Beauty and the Beast'"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024. Linda Woolverton, the creator of such beloved Disney characters as Belle and Simba
  29. ^ a b Reif, Alex (July 2, 2020). "10 Things We Learned from Linda Woolverton During WDFM's Happily Ever After Hours". Laughing Place. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  30. ^ "The Lion King Characters". The Lion King. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  31. ^ Ashton, Will (July 1, 2020). "The Lion King: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Disney Animated Movie". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  32. ^ Ashton, Will (July 1, 2020). "The Lion King: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Disney Animated Movie". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  33. ^ a b c Daly, Steve (July 8, 1994). "Mane Attraction". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 28, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  34. ^ a b Bradley, Bill (February 24, 2020). "Your Favorite Disney Movies Were Almost Completely Different, This Director Says". HuffPost. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  35. ^ Losgar, Maxwell (May 27, 2016). "Your Burning Questions about Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, Answered". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  36. ^ Brown, Emma (June 2, 2014). "Linda Woolverton and the Making of Maleficent". Interview. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  37. ^ Riedel, Michael (October 16, 2020). "How The Lion King Became a $9 Billion Broadway Smash". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  38. ^ a b c d e f Kehr, Dave (December 27, 2002). "At the Movies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  39. ^ a b Holub, Christian (April 2, 2018). "The Lion King stars look back on the making of the animated hit". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  40. ^ a b King, Susan (September 15, 2011). "A 'Lion's' tale". Los Angeles Times. pp. 1, 2. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  41. ^ Simpson, Michael (October 5, 2011). "Interview: Don Hahn Adds Another Dimension to Disney's The Lion King". CinemaSpy.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  42. ^ a b O'Brien, Tom; Holland, Misty; Beachum, Chris (March 18, 2023). "Matthew Broderick movies: 12 greatest films ranked worst to best". Gold Derby. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  43. ^ Holub, Christian (March 6, 2018). "The Making of The Lion King". Entertainment Weekly – via EBSCO Information Services.
  44. ^ a b c d Cernetig, Miro; Schindehette, Susan (August 1, 1994). "Feline Groovy". People. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  45. ^ "Whoopi Goldberg and James Earl Jones Lend Voices to Disney's Movie 'The Lion King'". Jet. July 4, 1994. pp. 32–35. ISSN 0021-5996. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2023 – via Google Books.
  46. ^ Kaufman, Amy (September 27, 2011). "With 'Lion King' No. 1, where is Jonathan Taylor Thomas?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  47. ^ a b Chanko, Kenneth M. (June 17, 1994). "The familiar voice of The Lion King". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  48. ^ a b c d e Davis, Sandi (June 24, 1994). "Actor's Voice Destined to Live Forever". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  49. ^ a b c Bergman, Anne (August 23, 1994). "Enjoying His Juggling Act : 'Home's' Thomas Finds Time for Serious Work and Play". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  50. ^ a b c Debruge, Peter; Drury, Sharareh; Franklin, McKinley; Garrett, Diane; Horst, Carole; Riley, Jenelle; Tangcay, Jazz; Thompson, Jaden; Yossman, K.J. (October 13, 2023). "25 Most Iconic Disney Characters". Variety. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  51. ^ "11 Actors That Shockingly Didn't Sing In Their Movies". TooFab. October 29, 2021. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  52. ^ "Joseph Williams Biography". Gemm. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  53. ^ a b c Hudson, Mark (February 21, 2023). "Interview: Joe Williams of Toto". Nippertown. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  54. ^ Grierson, Tim (June 15, 2022). "'I've Never Judged Myself Against Him, Ever': Toto Joseph Williams on His Father, 'Star Wars' Composer John Williams". MEL Magazine. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  55. ^ Gaudiosi, Jeff (August 25, 2019). "A Conversation with Toto Vocalist Joseph Williams". Misplaced Straws. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  56. ^ Casino, Snoqualmie (February 23, 2023). "For Toto, 'Africa' is just one long note in a symphonic career run". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  57. ^ Bachelor, J. (September 20, 2011). "Guest Star: "I [Still] Make Residual Income Off Of ['The Lion King' Movie]"". SOHH. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  58. ^ Rene, Shameika (October 18, 2011). "Sound Check: Jason Weaver". Soul Train. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  59. ^ Hamilton, Xavier (August 10, 2019). "Jason Weaver Explains Why He Was Only 1994 Young Simba's Singing Voice". Complex. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  60. ^ Jones, Monique (August 10, 2019). "Here's Why Jason Weaver Wasn't Able To Take The Speaking Role Of Simba In 'The Lion King'". Blavity. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  61. ^ "Jason Weaver Turned Down $2M In Exchange For Royalties For 'Lion King' Role". Vibe. October 8, 2019. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  62. ^ Dorisca, Samantha (November 18, 2022). "After Turning Down $2M For Singing In 'The Lion King,' Jason Weaver Celebrates Double-Platinum Track 30 Years Later". AfroTech. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024 – via Yahoo! Finance.
  63. ^ ""Lion King" singer says mum changed his life by rejecting a whopping $2m". The Lagos Review. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  64. ^ Bell, Crystal (April 23, 2012). "'The Lion King': Voice Actor Frank Welker Brings A Lion's Roar To Life With A Garbage Can (Video)". HuffPost. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  65. ^ Keeley, Pete (July 22, 2019). "Big Little Lions: Disney's New 'Lion King' Dodges the 'Kimba' Similarity Issue". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  66. ^ Mirjalili, Fatemeh (March 25, 2022). "Why Some Thought The Lion King Was Just A Copycat Of This Anime". /Film. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  67. ^ Adams, Cecil (December 23, 1999). "The Straight Dope". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  68. ^ Denham, Hannah (July 26, 2019). "'Lion King' has been clouded by intellectual property controversy for 25 years. Here's the story behind it". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  69. ^ "'Lion King' recalls beast of another reign". The Baltimore Sun. July 12, 1994. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  70. ^ Jacobs, Matthew (July 22, 2019). "In 1994, 'The Lion King' Was A Surprise Smash. Today, It's Just Another Product". HuffPost. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  71. ^ Golembewski, Vanessa (June 23, 2015). "The Secret Rivalry Between Pocahontas & The Lion King". Refinery29. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  72. ^ a b jchan (November 14, 2014). "Meet the Disney Animator Who Helped Create Some of Your Favorite Princesses: Mark Henn". Academy of Art University. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  73. ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (October 29, 2003). "Looks like a bear market for 2-D animation". USA Today – via EBSCO Information Services.
  74. ^ Solomon, Charles (November 12, 2003). "Drawing breath". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  75. ^ a b c Tiemann, Brian (December 25, 1994). "The Lion King". The Lion King WWW Archive. Brian Tiemann. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  76. ^ a b c d Giardina, Carolyn (March 11, 2022). "'Lion King' Animator Ruben Aquino Looks Back at the Inspirations Behind His Design of Simba". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  77. ^ a b c Minow, Nell (2011). "Interview: Mark Henn of 'The Lion King'". Beliefnet. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  78. ^ a b Moore, Roger (September 15, 2011). "'Lion King' was born and animated in Orlando". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  79. ^ Amidi, Amid (December 16, 2023). "Animation Legend Mark Henn Retires After 43-Year Run At Disney". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  80. ^ a b "Everything We Learned From the 'Lion King' Panel at the 2017 D23 Expo". Moviefone. July 18, 2017. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  81. ^ a b c Radish, Christina (September 11, 2011). "Mark Henn and Tony Bancroft Interview The Lion King 3D". Collider. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  82. ^ a b Priebe, Ken A. (October 10, 2011). "Disney Animator Mark Henn Reflects". Hollywood Jesus. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  83. ^ Gallagher, Brian (September 15, 2011). "Tony Bancroft and Mark Henn Talk The Lion King". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  84. ^ Hinman, Catherine (June 19, 1994). "Disney-mgm Animation 'Lion King' Of The Jungle". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  85. ^ Lee, Lavalle (January 24, 2013). "Traditional Animation". Traditional Animation. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  86. ^ Fallon, Kevin (July 12, 2017). "'The Lion King' Turns 20: Every Crazy, Weird Fact About the Disney Classic". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  87. ^ Chanel, Sunny (August 28, 2017). "25 Things You Probably Didn't Know About "The Lion King"". Brit + Co. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  88. ^ a b Stewart, Matthew; Sheehan, Paul (April 26, 2023). "Top 10 Disney Heroes Ranked By Screen Time". Gold Derby. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  89. ^ Peterson, Deborah (June 24, 1994). "Latest Jewel In Disney Crown Not The Shiniest". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  90. ^ "Simba". shopDisney UK. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  91. ^ a b c "Lion King, The (film)". D23. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  92. ^ a b Scalzi, John (June 25, 1994). "'Lion King': Film offers great characterizations". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved January 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  93. ^ Cook, Linda (September 15, 2011). "Not an ordinary cartoon". Quad-City Times. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  94. ^ "The Lion King (1994)". American Film Institute. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  95. ^ Allers, Roger (director); Minkoff, Rob (director) (June 15, 1994). The Lion King (Motion picture). United States: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
  96. ^ Rooney, Darrell (director) (October 27, 1998). The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (Motion picture). United States: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
  97. ^ Delia, John (2012). "The Lion King 1 1/2 and The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride Now on Blu-ray". ACED Magazine. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  98. ^ Smith, Dennis (March 22, 2012). "The Lion King 1 1/2: Special Edition (a J!-ENT Children's Blu-ray Disc Review)". J!-ENT. j-entonline.com. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  99. ^ "The Lion King 1 1/2". ComingSoon.net. CraveOnline Media, LLC. 2004. Archived from the original on February 19, 2004. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  100. ^ Raymond, Bradley (director) (February 10, 2004). The Lion King 1½. United States: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
  101. ^ Kelley, Sonaiya (July 21, 2019). "Disney's 'Lion King' remake beats box office predictions". Los Angeles Times.
  102. ^ Martinez, Peter. "Disney releases first live-action trailer for upcoming "The Lion King" movie". CBS News. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  103. ^ Maklin, Marc (July 20, 2019). "Jon Favreau Explains Why He Decided to Remake 'The Lion King,' Talks Working With Beyoncé". Variety.
  104. ^ Mandell, Glover (July 19, 2019). "Donald Glover: From redoing Simba after losing his father to his funny Blue Ivy encounter". USA Today.
  105. ^ Tingley, Anna (July 10, 2019). "Donald Glover on Working With Beyoncé in 'Lion King,' Playing Simba". Variety.
  106. ^ a b c Entertainment Weekly (April 25, 2019). What To Expect From The Characters in the Upcoming 'The Lion King' Adaptation. Retrieved April 29, 2019 – via YouTube.
  107. ^ "'Lion King's' Young Simba Actor Signs With ICM Partners (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. November 2, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  108. ^ "Disney's 'Lion King' Roars Off to Television". SFGate. January 24, 1995. Accessed 24 January 1995.
  109. ^ Brett, Susan (February 8, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Disney's The Lion Guard creator Ford Riley talks new Lion King sequel". TVdaily.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  110. ^ "Be Prepared for The Lion Guard". Disney Insider. June 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  111. ^ Ng, David (August 15, 2012). "'The Lion King' to surpass 'A Chorus Line' on Broadway". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  112. ^ "The Lion King: Opening Night Cast". Playbill Vault. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  113. ^ Pacheco, Patrick (January 13, 1998). "Raize of Light" (PDF). InTheater. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 24, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  114. ^ "Jason Raize, 28; Played Simba in 'Lion King'". Los Angeles Times. February 11, 2004. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  115. ^ Brantley, Ben (November 14, 1997). "'The Lion King': Twice-Told Tale of Cub Coming of Age". The New York Times. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  116. ^ Kahn, Sheryl (1997). "A Lion's Share" (PDF). InTheater. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 24, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  117. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (December 17, 1997). "Circle of Life: School, Homework, Broadway and Sleep". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  118. ^ "Heart of a Lion". Telegraph Herald. THonline.com. November 13, 1997. Archived from the original on March 24, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  119. ^ "The Lion King". Disney Store. Disney. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  120. ^ "Lion King Toys, Action Figures & Plush On Sale!". ToyWiz. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  121. ^ "The Lion King the Musical Official Broadway Souvenir Merchandise". PlaybillStore.com. Playbill, Inc. Archived from the original on August 6, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  122. ^ "The Lion King the Broadway Musical – Simba Beanbag Doll". PlaybillStore.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  123. ^ "Simba Beanbag Doll". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  124. ^ "The Lion King". IGN. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  125. ^ Baker, Christopher Michael. "The Lion King". Allgame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  126. ^ Woods, Nick. "Disney's The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure". Allgame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  127. ^ Harris, Craig (November 30, 2000). "Disney's The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure". IGN. Archived from the original on November 20, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  128. ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Disney's The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure". Allgame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  129. ^ Cecily (May 5, 2012). "IGN Nomura Interview 2004". Kingdom Hearts Insider. KHInsider. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  130. ^ "Kingdom Hearts Ultimania Interviews Kingdom Hearts II Interview (IGN)". Kingdom Hearts Ultimania. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  131. ^ "Kingdom Hearts II". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  132. ^ Square Enix Product Development Division 1 (December 22, 2005). Kingdom Hearts II (PlayStation 2). Square Enix.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  133. ^ "Simba". Kingdom Hearts Insider. KHInsider. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  134. ^ Hwang, Kaiser (September 3, 2003). "Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  135. ^ DeVries, Jack (March 7, 2006). "Disney Friends Review". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  136. ^ "Update 12: The Lion King | Livestream". YouTube. June 26, 2017.
  137. ^ Sterritt, David (June 15, 1994). "Disney studio roars with 'The Lion King'". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  138. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (June 24, 1994). "The Lion King (2002)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  139. ^ Ebert, Roger (June 24, 1994). "The Lion King". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  140. ^ Travers, Peter (June 15, 1994). "The Lion King". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  141. ^ Nusair, David. "Top 5 Animated Films Based on Fairy Tales". About.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  142. ^ Berardinelli, James (1994). "Lion King, The". ReelViews. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  143. ^ a b Abad-Santos, Alex; Wilkinson, Alissa (July 17, 2019). "Lion King 2019 vs. the original: what's better and worse about the remake". Vox. Archived from the original on April 17, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  144. ^ Hinson, Hal (June 24, 1994). "The Lion King". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  145. ^ Turan, Kevin (June 15, 1994). "Movie Review : 'The Lion King' and His Court Jesters : The Sidekicks Steal the Show in Disney's Animated Opus". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  146. ^ Starnes, Joshua (September 1, 2011). "The Lion King 3D". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  147. ^ a b Hunter, Stephen (June 24, 1994). "In 'The Lion King,' the animation roars". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  148. ^ Siskel, Gene (June 24, 1994). "Entertaining 'Lion King' Lacks the Flair of Disney's Best". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  149. ^ Brayson, Johnny (April 19, 2016). "Admit It: Simba Was A Total Pain". Bustle. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  150. ^ Allford, Jonathan (March 6, 2015). "The film that makes me cry: The Lion King". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  151. ^ a b Ulatowski, Rachel (March 13, 2022). "Lion King Animator Ruben Aquino Reveals How Simba Was Designed". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  152. ^ Stack, Peter (March 3, 1995), "Disney's 'Lion King' Let Loose / Story, animation tops in jungle tale", SFGate, archived from the original on March 23, 2023, retrieved April 22, 2013
  153. ^ Webster, Dan (March 3, 1995). "'The Lion King' Is Another Crowning Achievement For Disney". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  154. ^ a b Null, Christopher (2002). "The Lion King Movie Review". Contactmusic.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  155. ^ Howe, Desson (June 24, 1996). "The Lion King". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  156. ^ Basile, Annette (September 19, 2011). "The Lion King 3D". Filmink. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  157. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (December 20, 2002). "The Lion King - Imax". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  158. ^ Nissim, Mayer (October 5, 2011). "'The Lion King 3D' review". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  159. ^ Boladeras, Rafa (August 21, 2023). "Matthew Broderick's 10 Best Movie and TV Performances, Ranked". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  160. ^ Giles, Jeff (November 3, 2011). "Total Recall: Matthew Broderick's Best Movies". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  161. ^ "Matthew Broderick". PBS. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  162. ^ Ali Idrisoglu, Fatima (May 11, 2023). "Jonathan Taylor Thomas' Best Performances, Ranked". MovieWeb. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  163. ^ Debruge, Peter (July 11, 2019). "Film Review: 'The Lion King'". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2024. "The Lion King" rightly took flak for casting white actors in Disney's first Africa-set animated movie ("Home Improvement" star Jonathan Taylor Thomas played young Simba, while Matthew Broderick performed the adult version).
  164. ^ Bailey, Jason (July 18, 2019). "What Disney Risked to Make 'The Lion King' in 1994". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  165. ^ a b Phillipson, Daisy (July 19, 2019). "Does this cut Lion King scene confirm a popular conspiracy theory?". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  166. ^ Mikkelson, David (December 30, 1996). "Is the Word 'Sex' Hidden in 'The Lion King'?". Snopes. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  167. ^ Schweizer, Peter (1998). Disney the Mouse Betrayed: Greed, Corruption, and Children at Risk. United States: Regnery Publishing. p. 142. ISBN 978-0895263872. Retrieved January 30, 2024 – via Wayback Machine.
  168. ^ Smith, Leef (September 1, 1995). "Disney's Loin King? Group Sees Dirt in the Dust". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  169. ^ Bradley, Bill (December 16, 2020). "Finally, The Truth About Disney's 'Hidden Sexual Messages' Revealed". HuffPost. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  170. ^ Snetiker, Marc (March 3, 2019). "Return of the King". Entertainment Weekly – via EBSCO Information Services.
  171. ^ Puri, Chhavi (September 10, 2022). "Top 7 facts about The Lion King: Things you didn't know about the Disney movie". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  172. ^ Puri, Chhavi (October 1, 2022). "14 Best Disney characters that made our childhood awesome". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  173. ^ Pirrello, Phil (January 25, 2023). "The 50 best Disney animated characters of all time". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  174. ^ Lacasse, Jacques (January 2024). "Ranking the 10 Best Disney Cartoon Characters of All Time". Toons Mag. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  175. ^ Buddery, Sarah (February 3, 2022). "60 Best Disney Characters Of All Time Ranked". Looper. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  176. ^ Sekhar, Arunkumar (November 21, 2018). "'Even Disney parks don't have all the princesses together'". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  177. ^ "Power 101". Entertainment Weekly. October 27, 1995. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  178. ^ "5 famous lions from popular culture". World Animal Protection. January 3, 2021. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  179. ^ Staton, John (March 6, 2014). "The List - 6 awesome pop culture lions". Wilmington Star-News. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  180. ^ "Aslan and the great movie lions". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  181. ^ "The world's eight most famous lions". Birmingham Mail. December 8, 2015. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  182. ^ Fink, Richard (October 18, 2023). "30 Best Animated Disney Characters of All Time, Ranked". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  183. ^ Cripps, Charlotte (January 21, 2022). "The 10 best Disney role models for kids". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  184. ^ Espinoza, Madisyn (January 3, 2023). "15 Disney Princes Ranked By Likability". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  185. ^ a b Searle, Tyler B. (October 22, 2023). "The 10 Best Characters in 'The Lion King,' Ranked". Collider. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  186. ^ Searle, Tyler B. (November 27, 2022). "Ranking the Protagonists of the Disney Renaissance, From Ariel to Tarzan". Collider. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  187. ^ Yamin, Anas (May 26, 2023). "The 10 Best Character Development Arcs in Disney, Ranked". Collider. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  188. ^ Espinoza, Madisyn (July 26, 2022). "10 Best Disney Movie Protagonists From The '90s". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  189. ^ Jordana, Lipsitz (January 15, 2016). "Is It Weird To Think That Simba's Kinda Hot?". Bustle. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  190. ^ Tanza, Kevin (July 26, 2023). "The internet loses it after Simba, Nala & others are ranked 'hottest animated animals'". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024. netizens are now up in arms because of a recent article in Polygon that ranked Simba and Nala, along with others, as some of the most attractive animals
  191. ^ Reid, Rebecca (July 19, 2019). "Women Are Thirsting Over Sexy Fictional Cats And That's Okay". Grazia. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  192. ^ Cobb, Kayla (July 18, 2019). "Who Else Thinks 'The Lion King's Lions Are Hella Hot?". Decider. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  193. ^ Natasha (August 16, 2018). "Cartoon Crushes: So, I Had a Thing for Simba from 'The Lion King'". Hot 104.7. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  194. ^ Walsh, Laura (May 22, 2019). "People Crushing On Old School Cartoon Characters On Twitter Will Make You Say, "Same"". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2024. As weird as it can be to crush on someone who's a cartoon (let alone the weirdness of catching feelings for an anthropomorphic character like Simba from Lion King or the foxy Robin Hood) ... If you grew up during Disney's golden era or watched a lot of '90s animated movies, chances are that you had a thing for a character who only existed on your screen.
  195. ^ Alexander, Julia; Frank, Allegra (February 14, 2017). "Our first crushes may have been fictional, but the feelings were very real". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  196. ^ Bogen, Julie; Le Vine, Lauren; Nicolaou, Elena (November 21, 2017). "31 Animated Characters You Totally Have A Crush On – Young Simba from The Lion King". Refinery29. The article includes both young and adult Simba as separate listings. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  197. ^ Capewell, Jillian; Strachan, Maxwell; Frank, Priscilla (September 4, 2015). "27 Cartoon Characters Who Gave Us The Hots As Kids". HuffPost. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  198. ^ Devoe, Noelle (July 21, 2015). "11 Cartoon Characters You Totally Had a Crush on When You Were a Kid". Seventeen. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  199. ^ "We Asked The Edge - Who Was Your Cartoon Crush?". The Edge. August 5, 2022. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  200. ^ Churchill, Alexandra (August 11, 2014). "20 Cartoon Characters Who Were Hunkalicious Back In The Day". YourTango. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  201. ^ Loftus, Valerie (March 9, 2017). "9 cartoon characters you definitely fancied as a young one". The Daily Edge. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  202. ^ Diehl, Dustin; Shatto, Rachel (March 26, 2023). "16 Disney Crushes We Still Can't Get Over". Pride. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  203. ^ Eastman, Ari (December 13, 2014). "10 Cartoon Characters You'd Definitely Hook Up With If They Were Real". Thought Catalog. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  204. ^ Saxena, Jaya (March 14, 2017). "An Important, Definitive Ranking of the Hottest Disney Princes". Elle. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  205. ^ Madden, Caroline (June 26, 2023). "Disney's hottest animated animal characters, ranked". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  206. ^ de Luna, Elizabeth (April 9, 2022). "The hottest Disney animal characters, ranked". Mashable. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  207. ^ Cohen, Anne (July 11, 2019). "The Lion King Could Use A Lot More Hot Simba Energy". Refinery29. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  208. ^ Cobb, Kayla (July 18, 2019). "Who Else Thinks 'The Lion King's Lions Are Hella Hot?". Decider. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  209. ^ Costello, Louis (May 20, 2019). "7 Disney Characters All Of Us Had An Irrational Crush On Growing Up". PEDESTRIAN.TV. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  210. ^ a b Guillaume, Jenna (July 31, 2019). "Horny On Mane: Why Are We All So Thirsty For Simba?". Punkee. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  211. ^ Winning, Josh (December 1, 2011). "50 Greatest Disney Movie Moments". Total Film. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  212. ^ Sessa, Andrew (July 29, 2019). "The Real-Life Locations That Inspired the New Lion King Movie". Condé Nast Traveler. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  213. ^ Winer, Stuart (October 22, 2018). "Israeli photographer's real-life 'Lion King' photo grabs headlines". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  214. ^ Davis, Richard Brian; Irwin, William (2019). Disney and Philosophy: Truth, Trust, and a Little Bit of Pixie Dust. United States: John Wiley & Sons. p. 147. ISBN 9781119538318 – via Google Books.
  215. ^ Richards, Kimberly (May 11, 2016). "These Parents Recreated 'The Lion King' Scene With Their Newborn In The Sweetest Video". Romper. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  216. ^ "Parents Recreate Scene From 'Lion King' for Newborn Daughter". ABC News. May 10, 2016. Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  217. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (November 20, 2002). "Michael Jackson Calls Baby-Dangling Incident A 'Terrible Mistake'". MTV. Archived from the original on February 21, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  218. ^ Schmader, David (May 11, 2005). "The Week in Review". The Stranger. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
  219. ^ Olson, Scott R. (January 1, 1999). Gehring, Wes (ed.). Parody As Film Genre: "Never Give a Saga an Even Break". United States: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. XV. ISBN 978-0313261862. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  220. ^ Weisman, Sam (director) (June 16, 1997). George of the Jungle (Motion picture). United States: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
  221. ^ Once Upon a Time, Season 3, "Snow Drifts"
  222. ^ Nannestad, Chloe (February 1, 2024). "184 Magical Disney-Inspired Names for Your Dog". Reader's Digest. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  223. ^ Finch-Brand, Vincent (May 19, 2023). "160+ Dog Names from Movies for Your Furry Film Critic". Daily Paws. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  224. ^ "VetStreet.com: Top 10 Trendiest Dog Names of the Year". Comcast. 2010. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  225. ^ "Trendiest dog names". Yahoo! Lifestyle. Yahoo!7. May 24, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  226. ^ "Cat Names". YouPet, LLC. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  227. ^ Udell, Cherise (December 2, 2012). "Cool Cat Names: Vote for Your Favorite". Care2. Care2.com, Inc. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  228. ^ "Luna most popular name for Dutch dogs and cats". DutchNews.nl. July 2, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  229. ^ "Top Popular Pet Names". BabyNames.com. BabyNames.com LLC. Archived from the original on February 7, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  230. ^ "These Are The Most Popular Pet Names In Britain". Yahoo! News. April 12, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  231. ^ Larson, Jessi (December 26, 2019). "The Lion King Dominates Top Cat Names of 2019". PR Newswire. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  232. ^ Taylor, Brooke (December 1, 2021). "Here are the most popular dog and cat names in Toronto". Daily Hive. Retrieved February 6, 2024.