The Lion King (1994)
The greatest adventure of all is finding our place in the Circle of Life.
Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 15 June 1994 |
| Genre | Animation, Family, Drama |
| Director | Roger Allers |
| Starring | Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly and Jeremy Irons |
| Runtime | 89 min |
| Rated | G |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.5/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 92% · Metacritic 88/100 · IMDb 8.5/10 · TMDB users 8.2/10 |
| Budget | $45 million |
| Box office | $969 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Lion King
The Lion King is streaming on Disney+ ($15.99 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Disney+ is $15.99 at list price.
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What kind of watch this is
The Lion King is a 1994 animated drama that wears its Shakespearean bones on the outside. It is 89 minutes of high-stakes betrayal set against a very literal backdrop of grass and sun. Roger Allers directs with a steady hand, keeping the tone serious enough to hurt but light enough to play. Jeremy Irons steals the shadowy corners, while Matthew Broderick carries the weight of expectation. It is not a subtle film. It is a loud, sweeping tragedy that trusts you to feel the loss before you understand the politics. Press play and let the music do the heavy lifting.
What the critics said
Critics called it a classic before the dust settled. Rotten Tomatoes lists a 92% approval rating as of November 2025. Metacritic assigns it 88 out of 100, a figure that signals universal acclaim. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times named it "a superbly drawn animated feature." Hal Hinson of The Washington Post called it "an impressive, almost daunting achievement." Not everyone was equally dazzled. Gene Siskel noted it was "a good film, not a great one." The consensus is high, but the debate over whether it truly tops its predecessors remains a favorite topic for those who want to argue about Disney history.
How it did with audiences
The budget was $45 million. It took in $969 million worldwide, with $423 million of that landing in the United States. In film accounting, that ratio is a comfortable win. On TMDB, users rate it 8.2 out of 10. IMDb lists an 8.5/10 score as of June 2026.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Lion King.
Sources
- The Lion King on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q36479 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Lion King” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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