The Lion King 1½
A midquel and sidequel from Timon and Pumbaa's perspective.
The Lion King 1½ (released internationally in some regions as The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata, but officially titled The Lion King 1½ in English) is a 2004 American animated musical comedy film that went straight to video. Directed by Bradley Raymond and made by Disneytoon Studios, it is the third movie in the Lion King series. The story is both a midquel and a sidequel to the 1994 original, centering on Timon and Pumbaa, who were supporting characters in the first film. Most of the original voice cast returned, including Nathan Lane as Timon and Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa. The movie’s structure takes inspiration from Tom Stoppard’s play *Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead*, which retells *Hamlet* from the perspective of two minor characters. Walt Disney Home Entertainment released it on February 10, 2004, and it generally received positive reviews from critics.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Bradley Raymond
- Producer
- George A. Mendoza
- Screenplay
- Tom Rogers
- Starring
- Nathan Lane / Ernie Sabella
- Music
- Don L. Harper
- Editing
- Joyce Arrastia
- Studio
- Disneytoon Studios
- Released
- 10 February 2004
- Runtime
- 83 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film opens with Timon and Pumbaa in a home theater parodying Mystery Science Theater 3000, watching the first Lion King. Timon fast-forwards to the Hakuna Matata scene, but Pumbaa rewinds to avoid confusing the audience. Timon then tells the story of how he and Pumbaa met and learned Hakuna Matata. Timon, a meerkat outcast from his colony, leaves after a hyena attack and meets Rafiki, who teaches him the philosophy of 'Hakuna Matata' and advises him to 'look beyond what you see.' Timon later encounters Pumbaa, and together they witness key events from the first film, including the presentation of Simba, the stampede that kills Mufasa, and their eventual discovery of a lush jungle where they settle.
Reader's Guide
The Lion King 1½ is significant as a direct-to-video sequel that recontextualizes the original film from the perspective of minor characters, a technique inspired by Tom Stoppard's play. It received generally positive reviews from critics and was released by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on February 10, 2004. The film features a majority of the original voice cast, including Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as Timon and Pumbaa, and includes a new song 'That’s All I Need' based on a deleted song from the original. Its legacy lies in its creative framing device and its expansion of the Lion King universe, offering a comedic counterpoint to the original's drama.
Did You Know?
- The film's structure is inspired by Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
- The framing device is a parody of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
- The film was animated by Walt Disney Animation Australia in Sydney and Disneytoon Studios in the United States.
- The DVD edition includes a mockumentary titled 'Timon: The Early Years'.
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