The Lion King (2019)
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A young lion prince must find the courage to reclaim his throne after his father's death.
The story
In the Pride Lands of Tanzania, a pride of lions rule over the kingdom from Pride Rock. King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi's newborn son, Simba, is presented to the gathering animals by Rafiki the mandrill, the kingdom's shaman and advisor. Mufasa's younger brother, Scar, covets the throne. Mufasa shows Simba the Pride Lands and forbids him from exploring beyond its borders. He explains to Simba the responsibilities of kingship and the "circle of life", which connects all living things. Scar manipulates Simba into exploring an elephant graveyard beyond the Pride Lands. There, Simba and his best friend, Nala, are chased by a clan of spotted hyenas led by the ruthless Shenzi.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Mufasa is betrayed and killed by Scar during a stampede, Simba is told by Scar that the death was his fault and is told to leave the kingdom. Simba escapes and is rescued by Timon and Pumbaa, living a carefree life under the motto 'hakuna matata'. Years later, he encounters Nala, who urges him to return home to face the drought-stricken land under Scar's rule. After a spiritual encounter with Mufasa's spirit, Simba returns to Pride Rock. He confronts Scar, who reveals he killed Mufasa. A battle ensues between Simba's allies and the hyenas. Simba eventually defeats Scar, who is mauled to death by the hyenas. Simba takes his place as king, and Nala becomes his queen, and the circle of life continues with the birth of their cub.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jon Favreau
- Writers
- Jeff Nathanson · screenplay
- Genres
- musical drama; animated; adventure; fantasy
- Themes
- responsibility; legacy; growth; nature
- Setting
- The Pride Lands of Tanzania
- Premise and plot tags
- remake; coming-of-age; animal kingdom
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1994 animated film
- Franchise connections
- The Lion King
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with many criticizing the lack of originality and for being nearly identical to the original. However, it grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide during its theatrical run, and broke several box-office records.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100 · review count: 54; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 4 · scale: 5
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Awards · Best Animated Feature Film · 77th · nomination; Golden Globe Awards · Original Song · 77th · nomination; Critics' Choice Awards · Best Animated Feature Film · 25th · nomination; Critics' Choice Awards · Original Song · 25th · nomination; British Academy Film Awards · visual effects · 73rd · nomination; Academy Awards · visual effects · 92nd · nomination
- Production trivia
- One of the most expensive films ever made; The only non-animated shot is the sunrise in the opening scene; The film was criticized by some for being nearly identical to the original
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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