Disney Channel, the entertainment destination for kids and families, is all set to make summer vacations more fun and memorable with Disney’s ‘The Lion King’. The blockbuster animated feature film, that released on June 15, 1994, will premiere on Disney Channel on May 22, 2011 at 1.30 p.m. Critically acclaimed and a commercial success, the film continues to be the most popular hand drawn animation film till date.
Arnab Chaudhuri, executive director, Content and Creative, Walt Television International India said, “The popularity of ‘The Lion King’ transcends all age groups. It is a timeless Disney classic for all, kids, teenagers, their parents and grand-parents. We are very excited to bring this perfect Disney Channel summer treat for the entire family, whether you are watching it the first time or the umpteenth time.”
The story of a father and son, ‘The Lion King’ presents the journey of a lion from a cub to adulthood and the acceptance of his royal destiny. With voice-overs from Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg and Jeremy Irons in English and Suresh Oberoi, Avinash Narkar, Salim Ghouse, Malishka and Uday Sabnis in Hindi, the film features five original songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice, with Elton John performing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" during the end credits. The film's score was composed by Hans Zimmer and supplemented with traditional African music and choir elements arranged by Lebo M. The Lion King received two Academy Awards for its outstanding music and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
So, book your seats, keep the popcorn ready and get ready to enjoy ‘The Lion King’ with your families in the comfort of your home on May 22, 2011 at 1.30 pm only on Disney Channel.
Here are a few fun and interesting facts about The Lion King:
* For the more than 600 artists, animators and technicians who contributed to "The Lion King" over its lengthy production schedule, the film presented many challenges. In the end, more than one million drawings were created for the film, which is made up of 1,197 hand-painted backgrounds and 119,058 individually colored frames of film.
* Several Disney animators went to Africa to study animal behavior and interaction in the wild. A grown lion and a cub were also brought into the animation studio as models for anatomy and musculature.
* The main locations for the film, including Pride Rock and the Gorge, are modeled after Hell's Gate National Park in Kenya
* Anatomy consultant Stuart Sumida, a biology professor at Cal State, San Bernardino, helped the animators get a better understanding for their character's movements through his informative lectures at the studio on comparative anatomy, skeletal structure and action analysis.
