Twenty-seven years after its debut, the filmmaker explains why it was a risky move that paid off tenfold.
The Lion King musical is an incredible play that has captivated American audiences since 1997 and has made over $10 billion (£7.68 billion) globally, making it the highest-grossing production in theater or film history. It is now commemorating 25 years in the West End and will mark 27 years on Broadway next month. It has been performed on every continent but Antarctica, from South Africa to South Korea, Australia to the United Arab Emirates.
The penguins don’t need us,” jokes Julie Taymor, the director and designer of theater, film, and opera whose distinct vision made the musical come to life on stage and demonstrated that theatrical adaptations of Disney films could be both wildly successful and creatively innovative in their own right.
Note: Some people may find the language in this article offensive.
However, Taymor was at a loss for words when Disney first asked her to direct a live adaptation of their beloved 1994 animated movie because she hadn’t seen The Lion King. “I thought, well, why not? Let’s go look at the movie,” the 71-year-old, who is still appearing young, tells me over Zoom from the United States. “And I was really taken; I loved it.”
