Premiere Release Date: June 15, 1994
Official Release Date: June 24, 1994
Copyright: The Walt Disney Company © 1994
Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.
MPAA Rating: G (General Audiences ~ All Ages Admitted)
Length: 88 Minutes

IMAX® Edition Premiere Release Date: December 12, 2002
IMAX® Edition Official Release Date: December 25, 2002
IMAX® Edition Copyright: Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 1994, 2002
IMAX® Edition Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.
IMAX® Edition MPAA Rating: G (General Audiences ~ All Ages Admitted)
IMAX® Edition Length: 88 Minutes

Special Edition Official Release Date: October 7, 2003
Special Edition Copyright: Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 1994, 2003
Special Edition Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.
Special Edition MPAA Rating: G (General Audiences ~ All Ages Admitted)
Special Edition Length: 89 Minutes

Disney re-released The Lion King in theatres in 2002. As it was being re-released in IMAX® theatres which enlarge the image substantially, Disney went through the film and cleaned up the thickness of the lines. When the cleaned-up version was released to home video the next year, one of the songs from the Broadway musical (‘The Morning Report’) was added into the film.

[table caption=”Cast and Characters” colalign=”center|right|left|center|left”] [attr sort=”false”]|Cast|Character/Performance|[attr sort=”false”]|Notes[attr sort=”false”]

|Maxi Anderson|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Rowan Atkinson|Zazu||
|Jeff Bennett|Zazu||singing ‘The Morning Report’; Special Edition only
|Terry Bradford|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Johnny Britt|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Matthew Broderick|Simba||adult; speaking
|Niketa Calame|Nala||young; speaking
|Catherine Cavadini|additional voice||credited as Cathy Cavadini
|Baby Cele|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Lucky Cele|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Rick Charles|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Jim Cummings|Ed||
|Jim Cummings|Scar||additional singing vocals ‘Be Prepared’
|Gugwana Dlamini|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Kevin Dorsey|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Judi Durand|additional voice||
|Sally Dworsky|Nala||adult; singing
|Kristle Edwards|‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’||
|Wendy Fraser|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Linda Gcwensa|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Whoopi Goldberg|Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena||
|Robert Guillaume|Rafiki||
|Jeremy Irons|Scar||
|Clydene Jackson-Edwards|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||credited as Clydene Jackson
|Matoab’sane Jali|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Kuyanda Jezile|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Elton John|‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight (End Title)‘||
|James Earl Jones|Mufasa||
|Robert Joyce|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||credited as Bob Joyce
|Faith Kekana|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Moira Kelly|Nala||adult; speaking
|Sphiwe Khanyile|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Faca Khulu|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Stella Khumalo|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Daamen Krall|additional voice||
|Skhumbuzo Kubheka|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Thembi Kubheka|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Ron Kunene|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Nathan Lane|Timon||
|James Langa|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Zoe Leader|Sarafina||
|Edie Lehmann-Boddicker|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||credited as Edie Lehmann
|Rick Logan|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Lebo M|African Vocal Solos And Improvisations||
|Lebo M|‘Circle Of Life’ African Vocals||
|Tsidi Manye|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Khanyo Maphumulo|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Cheech Marin|Banzai||
|Abner A. Mariri|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Myrna Matthews|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|David McCharen|additional voice||
|Batho Mhlongo|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Vusi Mhlongo|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Nonhlanhla Mkhize|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Thembi Mtshali|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Bheki Ndlovu|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Nandi Ndlovu|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Bongani Ngcobo|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Nini Nkosi|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Bobbi Page|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Mary-Linda Phillips|additional voice||credited as Linda Phillips
|Phindile|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Phil Proctor|additional voice||
|David Randolph|additional voice||
|Rick Riso|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Ernie Sabella|Pumbaa||
|Evan Saucedo|Simba||young; singing ‘The Morning Report’; Special Edition only
|Philile Seme|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Alfie Silas|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Madge Sinclair|Sarabi||
|Happy Skhakhane|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Kipizane Skweyiya|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Sindisiwe Sokhela|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Susan Stevens-Logan|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||credited as Susan D. Stevens
|Khuluiwe S’thole|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Jonathan Taylor Thomas|Simba||young; speaking
|Thandazile|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Julia Tillman-Waters|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||credited as Julia Waters
|Carmen Twillie|’Circle Of Life’||
|Carmen Twillie|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Sam Vamplew|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Luther N. Waters|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Maxine Waters|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Oren Waters|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Jason Weaver|Simba||young; singing
|Frank Welker|additional voice||
|John West|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Joseph Williams|Simba||adult; singing
|Laura Williams|Nala||young; singing
|Yvonne Williams|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Terry Young|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
|Zolile Zulu|‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus||
||Wildebeests||

[/table]

Music
Songs by Tim Rice and Elton John
Original Score Composed by Hans Zimmer
Music Supervision by Hans Zimmer
Score Conducted by Nick Glennie-Smith
Choral Conducting by Lebo M., Andrae Crouch, Mbongeni Ngema, Nick Glennie-Smith
Choir Masters Mbongeni Ngema, Andrae Crouch

[table caption=”Songs”] Song|Composer/ Lyricist|Performers|Notes

Be Prepared||Jeremy Irons as Scar, with Jim Cummings as Ed and additional Scar vocals, Whoopi Goldberg as Shenzi, & Cheech Marin as Banzai|
Can You Feel The Love Tonight||Sally Dworsky as Nala, Kristle Edwards, Nathan Lane as Timon, Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, Joseph Williams as Simba|
Can You Feel The Love Tonight (End Title)||Elton John|
Circle Of Life (including ‘Nant’s Ingonyama’)|Nant’s Ingonyama by Lebo M|Carmen Twillie & Lebo M on African Vocals|
Hakuna Matata||Nathan Lane as Timon, Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa, Jason Weaver as Simba (young), Joseph Williams as Simba (adult)|
Hawaiian War Chant (Tahuwa-Huwai)|Written by Johnny Noble and Leleiohaku||
I Just Can’t Wait To Be King||Jason Weaver as Simba & Laura Williams as Nala, with Rowan Atkinson as Zazu|
It’s A Small World|Written by Robert Sherman and Richard Sherman||
I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts|Written by Fred Heatherton||
The Lion Sleeps Tonight|Written by Hugo Peretti, George Weiss, & Luigi Creatore; based on a song by Solomon Linda and Paul Campbell||
The Morning Report|Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice|Jeff Bennett as Zazu, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Evan Saucedo as Simba| Special Edition only
||African Vocal Solos and Improvisations by Lebo M|
||‘Circle Of Life’ Chorus: Maxi Anderson, Terry Bradford, Johnny Britt, Baby Cele, Lucky Cele, Rick Charles, Gugwana Dlamini, Kevin Dorsey, Wendy Fraser, Linda Gcwensa, Clydene Jackson-Edwards, Matoab’sane Jali, Kuyanda Jezile, Bob Joyce, Faith Kekana, Sphiwe Khanyile, Faca Khulu, Stella Khumalo, Skhumbuzo Kubheka, Thembi Kubheka, Ron Kunene, James Langa, Edie Lehmann, Rick Logan, Tsidi Manya, Khanyo Maphumulo, Abner A. Mariri, Myrna Matthews, Batho Mhlongo, Vusi Mhlongo, Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Thembi Mtshali, Bheki Ndlovu, Nandi Ndlovu, Bongani Ngcobo, Nini Nkosi, Bobbi Page, Phindile, Rick Riso, Philile Seme, Alfie Silas, Happy Skhakhane, Kipizane Skweyiya, Sindisiwe Sokhela, Susan D. Stevens, Khuluiwe S’thole, Thandazile, Carmen Twillie, Sam Vamplew, Julia Waters, Luther N. Waters, Maxine Waters, Oren Waters, John West, Yvonne Williams, Terry Young, & Zolile Zulu|

[/table]

[table caption=”Awards”] Award|Year|Winner/ Nominee|Category|Recipient|Notes

Academy Awards|1994 (67th)|Nominee|Music (Original Song)|Tim Rice (lyrics) & Elton John (music)|’Circle Of Life’
Academy Awards|1994 (67th)|Nominee|Music (Original Song)|Tim Rice (lyrics) & Elton John (music)|’Hakuna Matata’
Academy Awards|1994 (67th)|Winner|Music (Original Song)|Tim Rice (lyrics) & Elton John (music)|’Can You Feel The Love Tonight’
Academy Awards|1994 (67th)|Winner|Music (Original Score)|Hans Zimmer|
Annie Awards|1994 (22nd)|Winner|Best Animated Feature|Walt Disney Pictures|
Annie Awards|1994 (22nd)|Nominee|Best Individual Achievement for Artistic Excellence in the Field of Animation|Mark Henn, supervising animator|Young Simba
Annie Awards|1994 (22nd)|Nominee|Best Individual Achievement for Artistic Excellence in the Field of Animation|Scott F. Johnston, artistic supervisor|computer graphics
Annie Awards|1994 (22nd)|Nominee|Best Individual Achievement for Artistic Excellence in the Field of Animation|Andy Gaskill, art director|
Annie Awards|1994 (22nd)|Winner|Best Individual Achievement for Story Contribution in the Field of Animation|Brenda Chapman, head of story|
Annie Awards|1994 (22nd)|Winner|Best Achievement for Voice Acting|Jeremy Irons|
Grammy Awards|1994 (37th)|Winner|Best Musical Album For Children|Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Chris Thomas, & Hans Zimmer (producers)|The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Grammy Awards|1994 (37th)|Winner|Best Spoken Word Album for Children|Robert Guillaume, narrator; Randy Thornton & Ted Kryczko, producers|The Lion King Read-Along
Grammy Awards|1994 (37th)|Winner|Best Instrumental Arrangement With Accompanying Vocals|Lebo Morake [Lebo M] & Hans Zimmer (arrangers)|’Circle Of Life’
Grammy Awards|1994 (37th)|Winner|Best Male Pop Vocal Performance|Elton John|’Can You Feel The Love Tonight’
Grammy Awards|1994 (37th)|Nominee|Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television|Elton John & Tim Rice|’Can You Feel the Love Tonight’
Grammy Awards|1994 (37th)|Nominee|Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television|Elton John & Tim Rice|’Circle of Life’
Grammy Awards|1994 (37th)|Nominee|Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television|Hans Zimmer|The Lion King

[/table]

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