The Lion King has been a huge cash cat cow for Disney, bringing home awards, big profits and various sequel opportunities. And the company isn’t finished finding ways to bring big cats into our lives: a TV spin-off called The Lion Guard is on its way for next year.
While we like to imagine Mouse House executives announcing the new show by clambering on to the roof of one of its corporate buildings and holding the first image from the show above their heads while Circle Of Life plays, the news was delivered in a more mundane fashion, via a press released picked up by Entertainment Weekly.
This time, the focus will be on Kion, second son of Simba and Nala from the films, a brave soul who leads a group known as the Lion Guard to see off threats to the Pride Lands. Expect appearances by franchise veterans Mufasa, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Zazu and Kion’s older sister Kiara, but for the focus to be on the members of the Guard, including an egret, a hippo, a cheetah and a honey badger. And here we thought honey badger didn’t care.
Along with the standard themes of friendship, family, loyalty and, we’re guessing, self-belief, the show will also have a strong environmental message. The concept will be launched on Disney channels autumn next year with a TV Movie, and a series will follow in early 2016.