Der König der Löwen

Tip from Kim

"It's the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love..."

Under the care of his father Mufasa, the lion cub Simba grows up carefree and will one day take his place as king. But it's a long journey until then, one that requires all of Simba's courage. Due to an intrigue by his conniving uncle Scar, Simba ends up alone in exile. Accompanied at all times by his witty friends Timon and Pumbaa and their very cosy philosophy of life "Hakuna Matata", Simba must face his greatest challenge: the battle with the evil Scar for dominion over the "sacred land".

The 32nd feature-length animated film from the Walt Disney Studios from 1994 is the most commercially successful classic animated film of all time worldwide. It is partly inspired by Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and the Old Testament story of Moses. Nevertheless, THE KING OF THE LIONS is regarded as the first independent Disney story that is not a film adaptation of an existing story.

In general, THE KING OF THE LIONS is considered a true masterpiece of animated film, and not only that. It is an extremely complete film overall: from the wonderful animation to the beautiful soundtrack, from the emotionally gripping story to Simba's journey through life, from the tear-jerking moments to the laugh-out-loud moments.

The songs for the film were based on the Disney classic THE SHUNGLE BOOK and were written by Tim Rice together with Elton John. The aim was "children's songs that also appeal to adults." They definitely succeeded: The film won the Oscar for Best Film Music and for Best Song with "Can You Feel The Love Tonight".