The Lion King became the highest grossing motion picture of 1994 worldwide, and the second highest in the USA (the first being Forrest Gump). ^[15] The film initially made US$312,855,561 domestically, but including its 2002 IMAX re-release the domestic amount totaled to $328,541,776. The initial gross includes the film's short return to theaters in November 1994. ^[16]

It held the record for the most successful animated feature film in history until that record was broken by the computer animated Finding Nemo in 2003. Shrek 2 further surpassed Nemo's gross in 2004, but The Lion King still remains the most successful non- CGI animated feature. When adjusted for inflation, it is the fourth top-grossing animated film (below Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, One Hundred and One Dalmatians and Fantasia).

The film won two Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Original Song (" Can You Feel the Love Tonight"). Besides winning in the same two categories in the Golden Globe Awards, it also won Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and another Golden Globe for film editing. In the Annie Awards, it won Best Animated Film, Best Individual Achievement for Story Contribution in the Field of Animation, and Jeremy Irons also won Best Achievement for Voice Acting for voicing Scar. ^[17]

Elton John and Tim Rice wrote five original songs for this film, with Elton John performing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" during the end credits. Hans Zimmer also contributed to the film a score supplemented with traditional African music and choir elements arranged by Lebo M. ^[18] The film won Best Original Score and Best Original Song (" Can You Feel the Love Tonight") in both the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. ^[17] Three songs from the film were nominated simultaneously for the Best Original Song Academy Award (" Can You Feel the Love Tonight", " Circle of Life" and " Hakuna Matata"), with "Circle of Life" also being nominated simultaneously in the same category at the Golden Globe Awards. ^[19]

These are the musical numbers of the film, listed in order of appearance.

• " Circle of Life" is sung by an off-screen Carmen Twillie, with African vocals by Lebo M and his African choir. This song is played during the ceremony where a newborn Simba is presented to the animals of the Pride Lands. The song is reprised at the end of the film, during the presentation of Simba and Nala's newborn cub.
• "The Morning Report", a song originally not in the film (it was created for the live musical version), was added with an accompanying animated sequence in the 2003 Platinum Edition home video re-release. Sung by Zazu ( Jeff Bennett), Mufasa ( James Earl Jones) and young Simba (Evan Saucedo), the song is an extension of the scene in the original film where Zazu delivers a morning report to Mufasa, and later gets pounced on by Simba.
• " I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is sung by young Simba ( Jason Weaver), young Nala (Laura Williams), and Zazu ( Rowan Atkinson). Simba uses this musical number in the film to distract Zazu so that he and Nala can sneak off to the elephant graveyard, while expressing his wish to be king as soon as possible.
• " Be Prepared" is sung by Scar ( Jeremy Irons/ Jim Cummings), Shenzi ( Whoopi Goldberg), Banzai ( Cheech Marin) and Ed (Jim Cummings). In this song, Scar reveals to his hyena minions his plot to kill Mufasa and Simba.
• " Hakuna Matata" is sung by Timon ( Nathan Lane), Pumbaa ( Ernie Sabella) and Simba (Jason Weaver as a cub and Joseph Williams as an adult). Timon and Pumbaa use this song as a warm welcome to Simba as he arrives at their jungle home, and to symbolize their "no worries" lifestyle. The song encompasses a montage sequence during which Simba grows into a young adult.
• " Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a love song sung mainly by an off-screen Kristle Edwards, with Timon (Nathan Lane), Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), adult Simba (Joseph Williams) and adult Nala ( Sally Dworsky). This musical sequence shows Timon and Pumbaa's frustration at Simba falling in love, and the development of Simba and Nala's romantic relationship. The song won the Oscar for Best Original Song during the 67th Academy Awards.

On Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic, this includes Circle of Life, Hakuna Matata, and I Just Can't Wait to Be King on the red disc, Can You Feel the Love Tonight on the blue disc, and Be Prepared on the green disc. And on Disney's Greatest Hits, this also includes Circle of Life on the blue disc, Hakuna Matata on the green disc, and Can You Feel the Love Tonight on the red disc.

The film's original motion picture soundtrack was released on July 13, 1994.

On February 28 1995, Disney released an album entitled Rhythm of the Pride Lands, a sequel of sorts to the original soundtrack which featured songs and performances inspired by, but not featured in, the film. Most of the tracks were composed by African composer Lebo M and focused primarily on the African influences of the film's original music, with most songs being sung either partially or entirely in various African languages. Several songs featured in the album would later have incarnations in other The Lion King-oriented projects, such as the stage musical or the direct-to-video sequels (examples being "He Lives In You" used as the opening song for The Lion King II: Simba's Pride; and a reincarnation of "Warthog Rhapsody", called "That's All I Need", in The Lion King 1½). Rhythm of the Pride Lands was initially printed in a very limited quantity. However, it was re-released in 2003 and included in some international versions of The Lion King's special edition soundtrack with an additional track. Additionally, an allegedly long-lost "Lion King Expanded Score" containing never-before-released instrumental music from Hans Zimmer's original score has been available on eBay.

The success of the film led to several spin-offs, its first being a 70mm film released in 1995 entitled Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable. It promoted environmental friendliness and was shown in the Harvest Theater in The Land Pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World. Also debuted in 1995 was a spin-off television series called The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa which focused on the titular meerkat and warthog duo in a more modern, human world to the film's.

In addition, a direct-to-video sequel called The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride was released in 1998, focusing on Simba's daughter Kiara. Finally, a direct-to-video prequel/midquel, The Lion King 1½ (also known as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata), was released in 2004, showing the timeline of The Lion King from the perspective of Timon and Pumbaa.

The Lion King was first released on VHS and laserdisc in the United States on March 3 1995, under Disney's " Masterpiece Collection" video series. The VHS tape quickly became one of the best-selling videotapes of all time: 4.5 million tapes were sold on the first day. ^[20] In addition, Deluxe Editions of both formats were released. The VHS Deluxe Edition included the film, an exclusive lithograph of Rafiki and Simba (in some editions), a commemorative "Circle of Life" epigraph, six concept art lithographs, another tape with the half-hour TV show The Making of The Lion King, and a certificate of authenticity. The CAV laserdisc Deluxe Edition also contained the film, six concept art lithographs and The Making of The Lion King, but also included storyboards, character design artwork, concept art, rough animation, and a directors' commentary that the VHS edition did not have, on a total of four double sided disks. These home video versions of The Lion King all went into moratorium in 1997. ^[21]

On October 7 2003, the film was re-released on VHS and released on DVD for the first time as The Lion King: Platinum Edition, as part of Disney's Platinum Edition line of animated classic DVDs. The DVD release featured a remastered version of the film created for the 2002 IMAX release and a second disc with bonus features. The film's soundtrack was available in its original Dolby 5.1 track or in a new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, one of the first Disney DVDs to do so. ^[22] By means of seamless branching, the film could be viewed either with or without a newly-created scene — a short conversation in the film replaced with a complete song, "The Morning Report". A Special Collector's Gift Set was also released, with the DVD set, five exclusive lithographed character portraits (new sketches created and signed by the original character animators), and an introductory book entitled The Journey. ^[21] More than two million copies of the Platinum Edition DVD and VHS units were sold on the first day of release. ^[20] A DVD boxed set of the three The Lion King films (in two-disc Special Edition formats) was released on December 6 2004. In January 2005, the film went back into moratorium. ^[23]

The Platinum Edition of The Lion King was criticized by fans mainly for its false advertising: producer Don Hahn had earlier stated that the film would be in its original 1994 theatrical version, but it was confirmed after release that it was the "digitally enhanced" IMAX version instead, which is slightly different than the original theatrical cut. One of the most noticeable differences features re-drawn crocodiles in the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" scene. ^[24]

Although Disney has not announced a date for a Blu-ray Disc re-release of The Lion King yet, the studio has publicly shown clips of the film on Blu-ray at CES 2008. ^{[25] [26]}

The Lion King was the first Disney animated feature to be an original story, rather than being based on an already-existing story. However, elements of the film bear a resemblance to a famous 1960s Japanese anime television show, Kimba the White Lion. ^[27] One similarity between the two is that the protagonists' names (Kimba and Simba) are very similar—although the word "simba" means "lion" in Swahili. ^[28] Other parallels include that most characters in Kimba have an analogue in The Lion King and that various individual scenes are nearly identical in composition and camera angle. Early production artwork on the film's Platinum Edition DVD even depicts a white lion. ^[29] Disney's official stance is that any resemblance is coincidental, and directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff stated that they were well into the development process before the Kimba similarity was identified. Despite the controversy, the family of Osamu Tezuka, Kimba's creator, has not filed a lawsuit.

The character designs and scenes are the only things that have been speculated to be taken from Kimba; the two's stories are rather different from each other. The filmmakers, however, admitted that the story of The Lion King was inspired by the Joseph and Moses stories from the Bible, and William Shakespeare's Hamlet. ^[30] Christopher Vogler, in his book The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers, described Disney's request that he suggest how to improve the plot of The Lion King by incorporating ideas from Hamlet. ^[31]

The plot is also noted as sharing some striking elements with the West African Epic of Sundiata. ^[32]

In one scene of the film's original VHS and LaserDisc releases, it appears that the word "SEX" was embedded into the dust flying in the sky when Simba flops down, ^[33] which conservative activist Donald Wildmon asserted was a subliminal message intended to promote sexual promiscuity. However, the films' animators have stated that the letters spell "SFX" (a common abbreviation of "special effects"), and was a sort of innocent "signature" signed by the effects animation team to the work they did. ^[34] Due to the controversy it had caused, the scene was edited in the film's 2003 DVD and VHS releases, in which the dust no longer formed any words. ^[35]

The use of the song " The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in a scene with Timon and Pumbaa has led to disputes between Disney and the family of South African Solomon Linda, who composed the song (originally titled "Mbube") in 1939. In July 2004, the family filed suit, seeking $1.6 million in royalties from Disney. In February 2006, Linda's heirs reached a legal settlement with Abilene Music, who held the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney for an undisclosed amount of money. ^[36]

Upon its release, some critics complained that the hyenas in the film depicted negative racial stereotypes of urban blacks and Hispanics. ^[37] It has been argued the "despicable hyena storm troopers speak...in racially coded accents that take on the nuances of the discourse of a decidedly urban, black, and Latino youth." ^[38]

In August 2007, the Hamas terrorist organization produced an animated propaganda film that allegedly mimicked the style of The Lion King. The program was aired via their television station, Al-Aqsa TV. Hamas was portrayed as a lion that chased and killed rats that bore the likenesses of members of the secular Fatah organization in Gaza. The program was briefly aired but was pulled off the air for revision. ^{[39] [40]}

Because of its popularity, The Lion King has been referenced in various media. For instance, the animated TV series The Simpsons spoofed the film in the episode " 'Round Springfield". Towards the end of the episode, the ghost of Mufasa appears in the clouds with Bleeding Gums Murphy, Darth Vader and James Earl Jones (who voiced both Mufasa and Darth Vader), saying: "You must avenge my death, Kimba... dah, I mean Simba," a reference to the Lion King/Kimba the White Lion controversy. ^[41]

Disney also frequently referenced The Lion King in its own films. For example, in the Disney-released, Pixar-produced 1995 computer animated film Toy Story, the song " Hakuna Matata" can be heard playing in Andy's car during the film's climax. ^[42] This could also be referencing the fact that Tim Allen, who voiced Buzz Lightyear, was in Home Improvement with Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who voiced Cub Simba. Pumbaa made a cameo in Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), ^[43] while Hercules (1997) paid homage to both The Lion King and the Nemean Lion: Scar's skin is worn by Hercules while he is posing for a painting on a Greek vase. ^[44] Also, Disney's Chicken Little has the beginning of The Lion King as an entrance for the start of the movie.

In the Kung Pow! Enter the Fist, a comedy film that parodies Hong Kong action cinema, has also made a reference to the famous scene of The Lion King. During one scene the Chosen One, whom is portrayed by Steve Oedekerk, is near a lake and was approached by a glowing mist. The Chosen One then encounters Mu Shu Fasa who is a parody of Mufasa. He then refers to the Chosen One as "Cho Simba".

All of the video games are lame!

• The Lion King: Six New Adventures, a boxed set of books released after the film's success. The books provide some backstory for the film (such as how Scar received his scar) and chronicle events that take place between the film and Simba's Pride.
• The Lion King: The Brightest Star, a book and cassette tape set telling the story of Simba's great-grandfather Mohatu.
• The Lion King: Friends In Need, a children's book that provides backstory on the characters Mufasa, Sarabi, and Zazu
• Kingdom Hearts II, a video game that features The Lion King as one of its worlds.

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Lion King.

• The Lion King at IMDb
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