When The Lion King first went into production, it was pitched as “Bambi in Africa meets Hamlet,” or, as one animator dubbed it, “Bamlet.” Drawing heavily on past stories, The Lion King still managed to create something entirely new. It was wildly successful among children and adults alike, and many Disney connoisseurs and critics insist that The Lion King reached heights that Disney has yet to match with another film.

Did You Know?

A few references to Hamlet are made in The Lion King, including Simba receiving guidance from his father’s ghost, and a scene where Scar casually holds a skull.

The Lion King is the best-selling home video of all time, at more than 55 million copies to date.

The death of Mufasa is the first time in any animated Disney production that a dead body is shown on screen.

In the original screenplay for The Lion King, Nala flees to the jungle to avoid unwanted romantic advances from Scar. While the sexual harassment theme was considered inappropriate for a family movie, this subplot was brought back for the stage musical.

During the “Hakuna Matata” grub-eating scene, one of the bugs Timon pulls out is wearing Mickey Mouse ears.

The Lion King’s original title was King of the Jungle, until producers realized that lions do not, in fact, live in the jungle.

Find your place in the Circle of Life by playing some The Lion King movie trivia.

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