The Lion King movies have warmed hearts and inspired childhood memories for generations, but when compared to each other, it's hard to tell how each film might rank from worst to best. Upon its initial release, the original movie grossed $755 million at the box office against a budget of $45 million, establishing it as the highest grossing animated film at the time. Meanwhile, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride has a score of only 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. In spite of drastically different receptions, the franchise's fur and feather-covered cast has become a Disney staple, and songs like "Hakuna Matata" are practically embedded as phrases in American slang.
Naturally, the animated movie musical's resounding success inspired a menagerie of sequels and spin-offs. From the television series Timon and Pumbaa to the live-action remake, Disney has crafted stories around iconic characters like Simba, Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa for nearly two decades. Even some of the Frozen franchise was inspired by The Lion King. With The Lion King 2 officially in development, it doesn't look like the demand for new Lion King movies will end any time soon. The live-action sequel, directed by Moonlight's Barry Jenkins, will reportedly read more like a prequel focusing on Mufasa's origin story, so viewers can count on more stories from the Pridelands in the near future.
Still, not all Lion King films are equal. As is the case within many franchises, each movie experienced a different amount of critical and commercial success. The direct-to-video Around the World with Timon and Pumbaa (a selection of episodes from the eponymous series following the antics of The Lion King's Timon and Pumbaa) lives in considerably more obscurity than the Disney Junior series The Lion Guard, so there's a wide range of quality when it comes to The Lion King movies. Here's a ranking of every official movie to ever come out of the Disney franchise, from worst to best.
The Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar
This Disney direct-to-tv film was viewers' introduction to Kion, the son of Simba and Nala, and younger brother of Kiara. The movie follows Kion as he forms a team with friends Kuli (a cheetah), Bunga (a hippopotamus), Bunga (a honey badger), and Ono (an egret) to protect the Pridelands. Although Kion makes an interesting addition to Pride Rock, it's slightly unsettling to accept him as one of Simba's cubs, since he makes virtually no appearance at all in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Much like how the original movie was influenced by Shakespeare's Hamlet (though there's some controversy that The Lion King copied Kimba), The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is Disney's take on Romeo and Juliet. When Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, falls in love with Kovu, the adopted son of Scar, their two warring prides must confront one another after years of tense conflict. Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, and Ernie Sabella reprise their roles as Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa, but their relevance here is significantly reduced.
The movie is plagued by issues that are characteristic of Disney's other direct-to-video sequels; the characters from the original lose much of their initial appeal, and the new characters simply aren't as interesting. These flaws are likely why the film sports such a measly score on Rotten Tomatoes. Regardless of its critical reception, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is still one of Disney's most successful direct-to-video sequels, ultimately earning $464.5 million in worldwide sales and rentals.
The Lion King (2019)
The anticipated live-action remake of The Lion King featured the voices of Beyoncé Knowles, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, and Seth Rogen in a photorealistic retelling of the classic 1994 movie. Many of the original film's scenes recreated shot-for-shot, the cinematography and direction (helmed by The Mandalorian's Jon Favreau) alone is an impressive feat and might be the best reason to watch the movie. Unfortunately, there isn't much more to the remake than its stunning visual effects.
The live-action version feels emotionally hollow and lacks much of the charm that made the original movie so unique and enjoyable - perhaps because of how photorealistic every scene is. The photorealistic take directly ties into the way that The Lion King 2019 makes some distinct changes to the original's stylistic choices. Half of the appeal of The Lion King released in 1994 is the intense, bright color that graces the screen during every song. The remake loses all the bright oranges, reds, and blues from the animal tower in "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" and the neon greens in "Be Prepared," which makes these musical numbers seem a little dull and awkward in comparison.
The Lion King 1 1/2
Comedy duo Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella teamed up once more as Timon and Pumbaa in The Lion King 1 1/2, the Lion King franchise's (according to Pumbaa) "in-between-quel". The third installment of the series is set before, during, and after The Lion King, covering the origin story of Timon and Pumbaa's unlikely friendship and how the pair managed to orchestrate some of the action behind-the-scenes. It light-heartedly details how involved Timon and Pumbaa were with Simba as he gets older, as well as offers humorous explanations for why certain things happen in The Lion King. For example, when Rafiki presents Simba as the new heir of the Pridelands, the animals gathered around aren't all bowing of respect; they're bowing because Pumbaa just released an awful fart behind the crowd that incapacitated the back line, causing rows and rows of animals to follow suit.
The Lion King (1994)
Sometimes, it's hard for a franchise to ever live up to its original, and this is ultimately the case with The Lion King. From the moment Scar declares, "Life's not fair, is it?" before almost devouring a mouse, the original movie takes viewers on an engaging ride through the power struggle in the Pridelands. This film has everything: tragedy, humor, romance, betrayal, and heartbreak. Plus, it sports a star-studded cast, with Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Rowan Atkinson, and Matthew Broderick bringing life to now-iconic characters that have made their way into the heart of popular culture.
The original Lion King brought about a musical revolution in Disney movies, debuting tracks like "Be Prepared," "Hakuna Matata," and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" These resounding hits have gone on to inspire the next era of Disney movie-musical songs, with "Friends on the Other Side" from The Princess and the Frog taking percussive notes from "Be Prepared" and "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)" from Hercules embodying the drama of Elton John's musical style, which is strongly showcased in "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" These songs from The Lion King soundtrack remain popular close to 15 years after their first release, which is a testament to the cultural impact of these catchy earworms.
Decades later, The Lion King continues to be one of the most popular series to come out of Walt Disney Studios. Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, and the rest of cast from the movies have stood the test of time and become beloved characters in the world of film and TV. With Barry Jenkins set to add his own artistic touch to the franchise, it's only a matter of time before viewers can embark on another adventure through the Pridelands.