After we shared the rumor on Sunday, Disneyland Resort has confirmed that “Tale of the Lion King” will permanently close after its final performances on January 7, 2024.
Tale of the Lion King
“Tale of the Lion King” premiered at Disney California Adventure in June 2019. It closed in 2019 but reopened with updates at the Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland in May 2022.
“Tale of the Lion King” is brought to life by the Storytellers of the Pride Lands, a troupe of traveling performers who present Simba’s journey in a unique story-theater style with live music and dance.
The closure may mean a new show will be coming soon to Fantasyland Theatre, which previously held “Mickey and the Magical Map.” That show closed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Various shows were performed in the theater before “Mickey and the Magical Map.” The current theater first opened in 1985 as Videopolis, but a different Fantasyland Theater existed from 1956 to 1981.
Watch “Tale of the Lion King” in full below.
How do you feel about the closure of “Tale of the Lion King”? Let us know in the comments.
“The Lion King” Saga
Earlier this year, Walt Disney Pictures President Sean Bailey suggested “The Lion King” could become an epic saga, comparing it to “Star Wars.”
The first iteration of Disney’s “The Lion King,” animated and starring Johnathan Taylor Thomas voice-acting for Simba, was released in 1994 and was a box office success. It became one of Disney’s most iconic and beloved animated films. The “live-action” version, which looked more realistic but only featured CGI (computer-generated imagery) animal visuals, was created by Mandalorian lead and “Elf” star Jon Favreau in 2019, which saw an even greater return at the box office.
Now, a CGI prequel entitled “Mufasa: The Lion King,” is in development under the direction of Barry Jenkins. The story will follow Mufasa’s life as a cub and explore the origins behind his poor relationship with brother Scar. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” is currently scheduled for a summer 2024 release.
This will not be the first time Disney has tried to capitalize on the success of “The Lion King.” After the initial animated feature in 1994, Disney created and released two more additions to the franchise. Both “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride” in 1998 and “The Lion King 1½” in 2004 were direct-to-video and did not see the same success as the original. There were also two television series briefly in production entitled “Timon and Pumbaa” and “The Lion Guard.”
“The Lion King” is most prominently represented at Disney Parks with the “Festival of the Lion King” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.