Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment‘s highly anticipated release of The Lion King on Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D arrived on Oct. 4, 2011. The 1994 animated family classic is available as a two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD combo
The release came several weeks after the new 3D version of The Lion King premiered in theaters across the nation on Sept. 16.
The Lion King Blu-ray 3D release is part of Disney’s Diamond Edition line, which also includes the Bambi Blu-ray that was issued in March. The Lion King was the first Disney classic animated film to be issued in the Blu-ray 3D format, although a Blu-ray 3D version of Beauty and the Beast is on its way.
The Lion King two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo will be priced at $39.99; The Lion King Four-Disc Diamond Edition, including Blu-ray 3D, will be priced at $49.99; and mega The Lion King Trilogy set will be $100. Along with the Blu-ray, DVD and Blu-ray 3D versions of each movie, the four-disc and trilogy editions will also contain downloadable digital copies of the films.
Released in theaters in 1994, the G-rated The Lion King won Academy Awards for Hans Zimmer’s score and the original song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” by Elton John and Tim Rice. It was the first time Elton John’s music had been in a Disney movie, followed up this year by Gnomeo & Juliet.
The Lion King tells the story of Simba, a lion cub (voiced by Matthew Broderick, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) who’s heir to take over their pride. But when he’s tricked by his scheming uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons, TV’s The Borgias) into thinking he killed his father, he flees and abandons his identity as the future king. As Simba grows in the jungle, he meets some cute and funny friends, including Timon (Nathan Lane, Stuart Little) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella, TV’s The Practice), and learns a lot of lessons, until it’s time for him to return and take his rightful place as the head of his pride. James Earl Jones (Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins), Robert Guillaume (TV’s Benson), Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean’s Vacation), Moira Kelly (TV’s One Tree Hill), Cheech Marin (Hey Watch This) and Whoopi Goldberg (For Colored Girls) also voice characters.
The Lion King spawned two DVD premiere movies, The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride in 1998 and The Lion King 1 1/2 in 2004. Both are included in the Trilogy set with the original film.
Additionally, a single DVD
Buy or Rent The Lion King | |||
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  Blu-ray/DVD Combo | Blu-ray 3D |Trilogy DVD/Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3D Combo |  Blu-ray/DVD Combo | Blu-ray 3D |Trilogy DVD/Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3D Combo |  Blu-ray/DVD Combo | Blu-ray 3D |  |
