The Lion King 1 1/2 Set for Early 2004!

[Starion]

The Hollywood Reporter officially announces that the Walt Disney Co.'s pint-size Lion King will return in a home video version next spring to bridge the action from the original 1994 animated feature and the 1998 direct-to-video sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. The Lion King 1 1/2, due in early spring 2004, will offer an "irreverent, edgy, humorous back story" to the original told from the perspectives of characters Timon and Pumba, who are again voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, respectively. Matthew Broderick will reprise his role as Simba, while Elton John and Tim Rice return with the new song "Meerkat Rhapsody." Disney has high hopes for Lion King 1 1/2, which will not carry a subtitle in the fashion of The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. The original Lion King will be out in a first-ever Disney DVD two-disc set October 7 with a new John-Rice song, "Morning Report," and loads of special features. That will be followed by Lion King 1 1/2 and then a special-edition DVD version of Simba's Pride in fall 2004. Slipping the video premiere of Lion King 1 1/2 between the Lion King and Simba's Pride rerelease "reflects a philosophy that the property is bigger than any one channel" of release, said Robert Chapek, president of Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment unit. Lion King 1 1/2 will be marketed to the broadest possible audience, from "anyone who bought the original Lion King plus anyone who's come into the marketplace since then," Chapek said. Ad spending and marketing campaigns have not been defined, but they will reflect the importance of the franchise, he added. Disney also will attempt to hook new consumers on the original's two-disc DVD with surround sound that is being specifically designed and mixed for home theater systems. "This is going to be a whole new experience for consumers who have The Lion King on VHS already," Chapek said. "The theatrical mixes are certainly optimal for theaters, but home theaters are set up differently. So our philosophy was, a movie like this deserves special customized mix for (DTS) 5.1 customized home channels, and that's exactly what we did." The yearlong publicity and advertising effort also will be boosted by a new wave of licensed merchandise to create in-store displays and keep the franchise visible to consumers, he said. The Lion King 1 1/2 DVD will also provide music videos, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes views of how the movie was made and two featurettes: "Timon - The Early Years," a mockumentary tracing Timon's childhood through tongue-in-cheek interviews with family and friends; and "Disney's Funniest Moments," highlighting Disney animated characters from the Seven Dwarfs to Brother Bear. Two games also will be included: a virtual safari "backlot tour" through the Pridelands and a Lion King trivia game in the format of a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire parody.

[Luke]

So now Lion King DOES have DTS?!

They ought to make up their minds.


Thanks for posting this!

[poco]

I'M so happy to hear that all three movies will come out!!!!! Must have all three...drooling....must have all three....

Couldn't tell DTS from dolby so doesn't matter to me!!! (I can't hear worth a hoot)

[Loomis]

Yay!
Don't like sequels. Do I buy them? Of course
That'd be great. I actually enjoyed Simba's Pride, but not as much as the original of course.
Having just seen the original on IMAX, I'm very hyped about all things Lion Kingish at the moment.
Bring it on!

[Starion]

I think the Lion King will have a 5.1 Dolby Digital track and a DTS/Disney EHT 5.1 track. I'm confused too. You're welcome Luke



Yahoo.com did not post the rest of Joan Villa's article.

Source:
New Lion King Roars to Video
May 9, 2003
http://www.videostoremag.com/news/html/ ... le_ID=4815


Buena Vista Home Entertainment president Robert Chapek also said:

“We’re very proud of our Disney video premiere line in terms of what it’s been able to do in the market,” said Chapek. “I think when you put the power of The Lion King franchise together with our history of success in the marketplace with Disney video premieres and our history of producing superlative DVDs that are on the edge of what the technology can do, it’s a recipe for success.”

[MickeyMouseboy]

i think she didnt know what she was writting or maybe she had the old press release. since the press updated doesnt mention a DTS track on a 5.1 Disney Home Theather System Surround Sound

[jabroni76]

awsome.. however, it would have been better if it came out in the fall of this year, but oh well, if it's good for the final product, I 'll wait! :(:)

[Starion]

According to Video Premire Awards, the Lion King 1 1/2 to be released on Wednesday, Febuary 4, 2004. The article and a new Lion King 1 1/2 logo are at http://www.videopremiereawards.com/HTML ... ing1-5.htm


DVD Exclusive News
Goldberg, Marin add laughs to Lion King prequel by Scott Hettrik
May 9, 2003


Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin have rejoined the voice cast from the original The Lion King for Disney's second animated DVD premiere sequel, The Lion King 1½, which will be released Feb. 4.

The project, which DVD Exclusive (formerly DVD Premieres) has been tracking as it has gone from being called The Lion King 3 to The Lion King 1½: Hakuna Matata, has already been in the works for more than three years since sister publications VB and Variety first broke the story in 2000.

A special DVD edition of The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, which stands as far and away the all-time best-selling DVD premiere movie with more than 15 million copies sold on VHS since 1998, and was the first movie inducted into the DVD Exclusive Awards' Academy of Artistic Achievement in 2001, will be released on fall 2004 loaded with extra features.

LK2 was one of the first Disney animated movies released on DVD and did not come with many extras.

The DVD of LK1½ will feature numerous extras, such as a mockumentary tracing Timon's childhood; a making of featurette; a collection of funny moments in Disney animated movies; an interactive tour of the Pridelands; a trivia game; deleted scenes and music videos.

LK1½ and LK2 will follow the Oct. 7 DVD debut of The Lion King, the all-time bestselling home video title with more than 31 million copies sold to date on VHS alone.

Since LK1½ takes place at the same time as the The Lion King but from the perspective of Timon and Pumbaa just before they meet Simba and during his growth spurt years, the hyena characters of Goldberg and Marin make a return appearance, rejoining other original cast and music performers previously reported by DVD Exclusive, including Nathan Lane (Timon); Elton John and Tim Rice, whose unused Timon and Pumbaa duet called "Warthog Rhapsody" for the original movie was recently rerecorded by Lane for LK½ as a solo called "Meerkat Rhapsody;" and original songs by Lebo M.

Also reprising their characters will be Matthew Broderick (Simba), Robert Guillaume (Rafiki), Moira Kelly (Nala), Ernie Sabella (Pumbaa), Edward Hibbert (Zazu in LK2) and Jim Cummings (Ed). New to the voice cast will be Julie Kavner as Timon's mom, Jerry Stiller as Uncle Max and Shaun Fleming as Young Simba.

[Starion]

Disney.com says:

Release date: Febuary 10, 2004

Hilarity reigns in this all-new movie starring Timon and his windy pal Pumbaa -- and featuring the new song "That's All I Need"! Now, in THE LION KING 1 1/2, see how things really happened -- according to their perspective -- in this rip-roaringly funny story within the story of THE LION KING. Find out the truth about some "passed" events -- such as when King Mufasa introduced his young heir to the animal kingdom. Let's just say there was something behind that dramatic moment when all the animals bowed to their new ruler! In this all-new comedy-adventure, Timon and Pumbaa reveal the true hullabaloo behind their departures from their meerkat and warthog 'hoods. Tag along as the two buddies from the brush search for their dream home, share their joys and trials as they raise young Simba using the "Hakuna Matata" philosophy, then cheer them on as they help Simba save the Serengeti and reclaim his place atop Pride Rock. Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and the original voice cast return for this all-new hysterical musical tale -- and meet colorful new characters like Timon's Ma and Uncle Max! Get ready for some king-sized fun with Timon and Pumbaa, the greatest unsung heroes of the savanna. They were there . . . and they ain't LION!

Sorry, no cover-art has been posted.

Source:
http://disneyvideos.disney.go.com/movie ... 20503.html