Hans Zimmer Reveals the Moment That Changed ‘The Lion King’ Forever [Exclusive]

The Lion King may be one of those iconic films that is instantly identifiable by its music and its score. The 1994 Disney classic ultimately earned Hans Zimmer his first Academy Award, but it has endured to the point that it's no longer just a movie score. It's been transplanted onto the stage, into concerts, live-action, you name it, for more than 30 years. Yet the most remarkable thing about it might be that Zimmer never even wanted to score The Lion King in the first place.

Speaking exclusively with Collider, the composer revealed that he wasn’t particularly interested in making a “cartoon,” but agreed because his six-year-old daughter could finally attend one of his premieres. Then he reached Mufasa’s death, and the project became considerably more personal. Zimmer explained:

“Lion King is an odd one for me because I didn’t want to do a cartoon, but my daughter was six years old at the time, and I’d never been able to take her to a premiere, so I thought, ‘I’ll say yes to this thing.’ The other thing I remember saying to them is, ‘I hate Broadway musicals,’ and they said, ‘We guarantee you it will never become a musical.’ You know, how wrong could we be? Liars! Right?”

However, Zimmer got serious for a moment because he believes there is a deeper-rooted reason why the music ultimately became so powerful to so many. His own father died when Zimmer was just six years old, and the shocking and traumatic death of Mufasa forced him into confronting buried feelings he hadn't dealt with since he was a child. “But the other thing was, I thought, ‘It’s just a silly cartoon.’ I started writing, and then I got to the scene where the father dies," Zimmer explained. "My dad died when I was six years old, and I realized I’d never really dealt with it. So I had no choice. I suddenly had to go back and deal with something that I had hidden away inside myself. I think that’s partly why the music is quite powerful. The Lion King is a great movie. We have death and fart jokes. What more can you ask for?”

Ultimately, what Zimmer thought would be a silly cartoon ended up being one of the most iconic film scores of all time, and one of the defining scores of his career. And yes, the stage adaptation he had been assured would never happen became one of the most successful Broadway productions ever created.

'The Lion King' Lives on 30 Years Later

More than three decades on, The Lion King will remain key to Zimmer's live performances. During our conversation, Zimmer also singled out Lebo M, whose unmistakable and stirring vocals are the first things we hear when the sun rises over the Serengeti, as key to the success. Lebo M will appear alongside 19 musicians when Zimmer returns to the stage. Zimmer and that ensemble will bring Hans Zimmer Live – The Next Level to North America beginning February 17, 2027, following the production’s hugely successful European run. And if you need a selling point? Of Lebo M, Zimmer simply says: "He is the Lion King."

Hans Zimmer Live – The Next Level begins its North American run on February 17, 2027. Tickets go on general sale September 25 at 10 a.m. local time. Stay tuned at Collider for more.