HAPPY 20TH TO THE LION KING!

It’s been exactly 20 years since The Lion King opened in wide release. That means it’s been two decades since those first chills we got watching the “Circle of Life” opening sequence, launching years of perfecting our own made up gibberish while attempting to sing along to the Zulu lyrics. The Lion King, which was mostly animated the old-fashioned way, remains the highest-grossing hand-drawn film ever. The film won two Academy Awards, earned nearly a billion dollars at the box office (worldwide) and spawned a fantastic Broadway musical. “The Lion King” soundtrack was the total package. Hans Zimmer, the music supervisor, or Tim Rice wrote every song, with Rice’s compositions song by the great Elton John. The tracks doubled as great music within the film (sung by the characters) and as separate recordings that were among some of the best songs of the 1990s. Hakuna Matata!