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The Lion King (1994)
While it feels impossible to imagine this in a world where Disney is currently a cultural monopoly, the House of Mouse was once in such dire straits that it was seriously considering the prospect of permanently shutting down production of its animated films. Instead, the studio put out The Little Mermaid (1989), a lower-budgeted and story-focused effort whose success put Disney back on the map. This led to a streak of lucrative, fondly-remembered movies during a period that is now referred to as "The Disney Renaissance".
This episode zeroes in on The Lion King, the commercial peak of this era. Ryan and Sarah were right in the target demo of The Lion King when it first hit theaters, so they speak from experience when they delve into its streamlined script, memorable music, and cultural ubiquity. Other topics of discussion include the storytelling parallels to Hamlet, the accusations of cultural appropriation leveled against the film, the criticism surrounding the 2019 remake, and whether or not The Lion King plagiarized its story from Osamu Tezuka's Kimba The White Lion.
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By Ryan Valentine
5
44 ratings
While it feels impossible to imagine this in a world where Disney is currently a cultural monopoly, the House of Mouse was once in such dire straits that it was seriously considering the prospect of permanently shutting down production of its animated films. Instead, the studio put out The Little Mermaid (1989), a lower-budgeted and story-focused effort whose success put Disney back on the map. This led to a streak of lucrative, fondly-remembered movies during a period that is now referred to as "The Disney Renaissance".
This episode zeroes in on The Lion King, the commercial peak of this era. Ryan and Sarah were right in the target demo of The Lion King when it first hit theaters, so they speak from experience when they delve into its streamlined script, memorable music, and cultural ubiquity. Other topics of discussion include the storytelling parallels to Hamlet, the accusations of cultural appropriation leveled against the film, the criticism surrounding the 2019 remake, and whether or not The Lion King plagiarized its story from Osamu Tezuka's Kimba The White Lion.