Disney May Be Planning on Giving ‘The Lion King’ the ‘Star Wars’ Treatment

Disney is always on the lookout for the next big thing, and it may be found in The Lion King franchise….

One of the biggest reasons that The Walt Disney Company has stayed as powerful and culturally relevant as it has is because of the foresight the company has to note when an entertainment property has the chance of making it big.

During Disney CEO Bob Iger’s previous reign, it looked like the CEO had the right eye for which entertainment companies to buy and own under the Disney umbrella—think Disney’s purchases of Lucasfilm, Marvel, and more.

A recent interview with Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios, revealed that Disney is continuing to look ahead and make plans for their franchises. While talking to the New York Times, Mr. Bailey revealed much about what fans can expect to see regarding Disney’s productions.

For one, it’s become abundantly clear that Bailey intends to keep his focus on female-led films, highlighting young actresses of color and female directors.

Bailey shared, “We want to reflect the world as it exists.”

Additionally, some of his comments have led fans to believe that Disney is working on making The Lion King series as big as Star Wars. While not a small task, it’s entirely possible that if anyone could make this happen, it’s Mr. Bailey.

Sean Bailey is the mind behind the live-action remakes that have been gracing our screens for the last few years; some are more prominently etched into our minds than others. Aladdin (2019), Beauty and the Beast (2017), and the recent The Little Mermaid (2023), to name a few.

Some of Mr. Bailey’s successes have been enormous for The Walt Disney Company, grossing over $1 billion at the box office.

The most successful of these was The Lion King (2019) remake which brought in over $1.7 billion. The film was so successful that Disney gave the green light to a prequel film centering Mufasa. The movie will delve into the origins of Simba’s father and his relationship with his brother Scar.

“There’s a lot of room to run if we can find the stories,” Bailey shared with the New York Times with regard to further expanding the world of The Lion King. Mr. Bailey noted that it could even develop into a “big, epic saga” similar to Star Wars.

While it remains to be seen if Disney can indeed achieve this dream, it’s certainly one many Disney fans are incredibly excited about!

What do you think about The Lion King franchise becoming similar to the Star Wars franchise? Tell us about it in the comments below!