Debashine Thangevelo
THE 1994 animated movie, The Lion King, not only left an indelible impression on movie buffs , it inspired the equally successful and long-running musical.
Now, this transcendent tale has become the catalyst for Disney Junior’s animated TV series, The Lion Guard, with the aim of introducing the legacy to a new generation.
Executive director, Ford Riley, says: “In telling the story of The Lion Guard, we’re really digging deep into the mythology of The Lion King film.”
Nancy Kanter, Disney Junior’s general manager, adds: “It would have been too easy just to ride the coat-tails of The Lion King. It is just such a timeless story that touches everyone in one way or another. It shows us how we really are part of a ‘circle of life’, and thinking about grand-parents and ancestors, and what came before and what will come after… It’s a timeless, consistent and relevant theme.”
The movie was memorable on many levels – animation, music and voiceover performances.
Kanter points out that, with the TV series, they wanted to rekindle that magic, but take it into the future, within the genre, for a younger demographic of two- to seven-year-olds.
Riley reveals: “Going into it, the very first conversation that Howy (Parkins), the director, and I had was obviously about it being loved. The animals don’t live in any era, and that’s what contributes to it being evergreen.”
Parkins adds: “We wanted to stay true to the original spirit. The team stayed with the 2D look. You can see that in the back-grounds and it looks like we have painters who did it all. But it’s actually done by a production designer. They were using technology that makes it still look like a feature film.”
For the series, the core characters are there with an injection of new ones.
Riley offers: “We all took the responsibility of extending and expanding the circle. It grows bigger with the introduction of new characters, Simba’s youngest son, Kion, and the friends he brings in to help him protect the Pride Lands.”
Parkins points out that, although they have augmented the narrative with new characters (Bunga the honey badger, Fuli the cheetah, Ono the egret and Beshte the hippo), they are introduced so seamlessly that it is difficult to imagine they weren’t in the original movie.
“The audience may be familiar with Simba and Timon and Pumbaa. Now they can fall in love with our characters,” he offers.
Kanter reflects: “There’s been a lot of The Lion King over the past 20 years. We haven’t discarded or forgotten anything. But we still allow ourselves permission to write new stories.
“While Mufasa, Nala and Rafiki remain integral to the series, it will be cultivating a new generation of fans.”
Of course, there is already a soundtrack that has been compiled to complement the TV series.
The Lion Guard airs on Disney Junior (DStv channel 309) at 6.30pm daily.