One of the most popular franchises in Disney history is reportedly set to get a fourth movie made soon. Whether it be a new stream of animated movies from Disney and Pixar or Disney's long run with live-action remakes of animated classics, the company continues to earn success with new releases every year.
Disney is reportedly developing a new Lion King movie, as reported by scooper Daniel Richtman. This would be the fourth movie in the Lion King franchise released theatrically.
The original animated The Lion King was released in theaters on June 15, 1994. It became the highest-grossing animated movie in history until 2003's Finding Nemo (a title now held by Ne Zha 2). Disney then developed a live-action remake of The Lion King for release on July 19, 2019, now the 11th-highest-grossing film in history (peaking at #7). Most recently (December 20, 2024), Disney released Mufasa: The Lion King, a live-action Lion King prequel centered on Simba's father, Mufasa.
As of writing, Disney has not announced any plans for another Lion King movie to go into development. However, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production President Sean Bailey spoke in May 2023 about Disney having an opportunity to turn The Lion King into "a big, epic saga," making it something similar in vein to Star Wars with multiple spin-offs.
What Will Disney Do With 4th Theatrical Lion King Movie?
While Disney has three animated Lion King movies to draw on for any future films, the original outing was the only one released in theaters. Additionally, Mufasa: The Lion King already changed the story slightly from the original animated films, as Timon and Pumbaa told Mufasa's story to Kiara in a way that never came to be in the animated movies.
This new film in question could be another spin-off like the Mufasa movie, which included almost a dozen characters already established in Lion King lore. It could also end up being something similar to The Lion King 1 1/2, a story that took place concurrently with the events of the original movie and crossed over with the story on occasion as well.
Due to the expected Lion King branding, many expect the titular lions to be at the heart of the story, the same way they were in the first three films from this franchise. However, much is still in the air about what Disney wants to see from the Lion King franchise.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
