Kimba the White Lion the one-eyed Claw and Scar, the sage baboons Dan'l Baboon and Rafiki, the animated birds Pauley Cracker and Zazu, and the pair of hyena sidekicks (it was a trio in the Disney film). "The Lion King" co-director Rob Minkoff deflected criticism of similarities in the characters by stating it was "not unusual to have characters like a baboon, a bird or hyenas" in films set in Africa. Matthew Broderick has said that when he was hired as the voice of adult Simba in "The Lion King", he presumed the project was related to "Kimba the White Lion". "I thought he
The Lion King (franchise) Pictures. "The Lion King" is the 32nd Disney animated feature film and belongs to an era known as the Disney Renaissance. The plot of the film is heavily influenced by William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet", and is believed to have been inspired by Osamu Tezuka's 1960s Japanese anime series "Kimba the White Lion". "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on VHS in the United States on October 27, 1998. It was directed by Darrell Rooney and co-directed by Rob LaDuca. It was first released on DVD as a limited issue on November 23,