10 Interesting Facts About The Making Of The Lion King

The Lion King is a great title. It rolls off the tongue and ties in with Simba’s transition from a runaway adolescent to the ruler of the Pride Lands. But before settling on this title, Disney went through a couple of others.

According to screenwriter Irene Mecchi, the film was originally presented to her under the title of Bamblet, as the plot was similar to both Bambi and Hamlet. King of Beasts was another name that was used during the early stages of production, but this was soon replaced by King of the Jungle, a phrase that is often used to describe lions. But this phrase is factually inaccurate, as lions don’t actually live in jungles, so Disney had to abandon it.

Various screenplays were written under these names, and the storylines were generally much darker than the plot we’re all familiar with. Ultimately, Disney scrapped the darker narrative and settled on a new name: The Lion King.