Guess what? Disney’s “The Lion King” is available on Digital 4K Ultra HD™ and Movies Anywhere and releases Oct. 22, on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray™, so it’s time for an epic viewing party with your wildest friends. Be prepared!

I received a “The Lion King” delivery to help my kids create my bug and safari themed recipe and snack and Eliana did a fun unboxing!

 The box contained very fun items that you can use to create your own “The Lion King” viewing party:

• Decor, plates, bowls, and straws
• Serving trays
• Gummy Bugs
• Timon & Pumba Plush
• Blanket 
• The Lion King on Blu-ray

What to eat when watching The Lion King

One of the funnest ways to celebrate Timon, Pumbaa, and the rest of the gang is by creating a Slimy, Yet Satisfying bug-themed snack idea or recipe inspired by the film.

Let’s watch Eliana’s recipe for our “The Lion King” home movie night! 

Logs are icons for “The Lion King” favorite moments! Remember when we first heard the song Hakuna Matata? Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa dance across a log and teach us about a life with no worries! 

Another way to celebrate “The Lion King” and honor our warthog and meerkat friends is by making fun and healthy bug and critter snacks.

Eliana loved being part of the fun as she helped her sisters bake these “The Lion King” movie themed cookies. 

When you have your “The Lion King” movie night, you can create an atmosphere of a wild safari and to help all the guests feel part of the mane event!

It’s no secret that Rafiki is my favorite character in “The Lion King”, so when I watch the movie, it brings back fond memories of magic adventures at the Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.

Disney’s “The Lion King”  became a worldwide phenomenon, earning over $1 billion at the global box office and an A CinemaScore. 

We watched the reimagined “The Lion King”  in theaters and it was such a wonderful experience, but now it’s even better because the home entertainment version has over an hour of bonus extras that showcase the cutting-edge technology behind the stunning savanna and a special look at the music of “The Lion King”.

In “The Lion King,” pioneering filmmaking techniques bring treasured characters to life in a whole new way. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny.

But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother — and former heir to the throne — has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile.

With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his. The all-star cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon.

“The Lion King” stars Donald Glover (“Atlanta,” “Solo: A Star Wars Story”) as future king Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (“Dreamgirls,” “Lemonade” visual album) as Simba’s friend-turned-love-interest Nala, and James Earl Jones (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Field of Dreams”) as Simba’s wise and loving father, Mufasa, reprising his iconic performance from Disney’s 1994 animated classic. Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave,” Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange”) portrays Simba’s villainous uncle Scar, and Alfre Woodard (“Juanita,” Marvel’s “Luke Cage”) plays Simba’s no-nonsense mother, Sarabi. JD McCrary (OWN’s “Tyler Perry’s The Paynes,” Apple’s “Vital Signs”) voices Young Simba, a confident cub who can’t wait to be king, and Shahadi Wright Joseph (NBC’s “Hairspray Live!” Broadway’s “The Lion King”) brings tough cub Young Nala to life.

John Kani (Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther,” “Coriolanus,” Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Civil War”) is the wise baboon Rafiki, and John Oliver (HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”) was tapped as hornbill Zazu, Mufasa’s loyal confidant. Seth Rogen (“Sausage Party,” “Neighbors”) lends his comedic chops to naive warthog Pumbaa, and Billy Eichner (“Billy on the Street,” FX’s “American Horror Story”) delivers the know-it-all meerkat Timon. Scar’s hyena allies include Florence Kasumba (Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther”) as Shenzi, Eric André (Adult Swim’s “The Eric André Show,” FXX’s “Man Seeking Woman”) as Azizi, and Keegan-Michael Key (“Predator,” Netflix’s “Friends from College”) as Kamari.

“The Lion King” is directed by Jon Favreau (“The Jungle Book,” Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man”) and produced by Jon Favreau, Jeffrey Silver (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Edge of Tomorrow”) and Karen Gilchrist (“The Jungle Book,” “Chef”). Jeff Nathanson (“Catch Me If You Can,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”) penned the screenplay based on the 1994 screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton. Tom Peitzman (co-producer “Kong: Skull Island,” “Alice in Wonderland”), Julie Taymor (director “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Broadway’s “The Lion King”) and Thomas Schumacher (“The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast”) are executive producers, and John Bartnicki (“The Jungle Book,” “Chef”) is co-producer. The award-winning team of artists tapped to bring the African savanna and its animal inhabitants to life includes visual effects supervisor Robert Legato, who conceived the virtual production on “Avatar,” won Academy Awards for his work on “The Jungle Book,” “Hugo” and “Titanic,” and was nominated for an Oscar for his work on “Apollo 13,” and Oscar-winning animation supervisor Andrew R. Jones (“The Jungle Book,” “Avatar,” “World War Z”). MPC Film’s VFX supervisors are Adam Valdez (“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”), who won an Oscar for his work on “The Jungle Book,” and Elliot Newman (“The Jungle Book,” “Fast & Furious: Supercharged”). MPC Film was instrumental in bringing each character to life and building the movie’s full CG environments, as well as working with filmmakers to develop the virtual production technology.

The Lion King bonus features include*:

*Bonus features may vary by retailer

It features visits to the Playa Vista production facility where talent, including Donald Glover (voice of Simba) honor and elevate the animated classic’s iconic music; discussions with Favreau and team who used cutting-edge technology to create photorealistic animals and environments; and filmmaker and cast reflections on the timeless tale that has moved generations.

Pre-sell bonus:

Perfecting the Pride – Join the filmmakers on their research trip to Africa as they immerse themselves in the real world of “The Lion King”.  From the animals in the pride, to the smallest of insects and the grasslands in the savanna, experience the attention to detail that brought the film to life.

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE:

Pride Lands Pedia –Dung beetle playfully shares the importance of his “roll” in the film and in African Savanna in a fun, bug’s eye view of the land its inhabitants. 

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL BONUS:

The Journey to ““The Lion King” – a three-part documentary that explores the film’s creation as you trek behind the scenes and to the African savanna. 

• The Music – Go inside the studio with the cast and crew as they work to honor and elevate The Lion King’s beloved music.
• The Magic – Discover how the filmmakers blended the traditional filmmaking techniques with virtual reality technology to create amazing movie magic.
• The Timeless Tale – Filmmakers and cast reflect on the story that has moved generations and share how this Lion King carries a proud legacy forward.

More to Be Scene – Recording studio and layer-by-layer progressions of some of most iconic moments in “The Lion King.” 

“Circle of Life” – Peel back the layers of effects and go behind the scenes of this iconic musical moment from the film

“I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” – See all the effects, talent and fun that went into creating this vibrant version of “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” for the movie

“Hakuna Matata” – Join Donald Glover (Simba), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa) and Billy Eichner (Timon) in the studio for the making of this memorable scene.

Music Videos – and sing-alongs to the film’s unforgettable songs.

 

• “Never Too Late” (lyric video) by Elton John
• “Spirit” performed by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

Filmmaker Introduction.

 

Audio Commentary – By Director Jon Favreau. 

 

Song Selection – “The Lion King” film features unforgettable music by an award-winning team, including Oscar- and GRAMMY®-winning superstar Elton John and Oscar- and GRAMMY-winning lyricist Tim Rice, score by Oscar- and GRAMMY-winning composer Hans Zimmer, plus African vocal and choir arrangements by GRAMMY-winning South African producer and composer Lebo M (“Rhythm of the Pride Lands”).

Oscar-nominated and GRAMMY-winning singer, songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams (“Hidden Figures”/producer, “Happy”), produced five songs on the soundtrack.

• “Circle of Life”
• “I Just Can’t Wait to be King”
• “Be Prepared”
• “Hakuna Matata”
• “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”
• “Spirit”
• “Never Too Late”

Protect the Pride – Director Jon Favreau, the Lion Recovery Fund and conservationists highlight efforts to protect the majestic lions and their home. The feature on the “Protect the Pride” campaign focuses on protecting and revitalizing the lion population.

The Lion King runs approximately118 minutes and it is rated PG in U.S. (bonus material not rated), PG in CE, G in CF. English SDH, French and Spanish.

Follow the hashtag #TheLionKing and The Lion King updates on Facebook.com/DisneyTheLionKing, Twitter.com/DisneyLionKing, Instagram.com/lionking, and Disney.com/lionking!

[ela]