Next to Frozen, The Lion King is one of Disney's most successful and most beloved franchises. With sequels, prequels, two TV series, spinoffs, and a Broadway musical, it's safe to say that fans are still in love with the Pride Lands.
As much as the franchise has delighted and enchanted millions of fans for years, one of the biggest additions to The Lion King has been all but forgotten. Although the original film has both a sequel and a prequel, one of the leads just brought a buried treasure back to the surface.
Return to Pride Rock
Lamont Alexander Pierce is one of the current performers in the production of The Lion King stage musical, and he recently shared a fascinating detail on his TikTok page (found here). While most of us think film or TV series when we think sequels, they aren't the only mediums at Disney's disposal.
In the video, Pierce unpacks the album Rhythm of the Pride Lands, a spiritual successor to The Lion King's award-winning soundtrack. Additionally, he also shares how much the work of Lebo M. on the album affected the future of the series' media.
In this writer's opinion, the album is a prime example of how Disney has its Mickey Mitts in more than just animation. Don't forget, many of our favorite Disney songs are Oscar winners, and The Lion King is just one example in the backlog of projects under the studio's belt.
Although the studio hasn't won an award for its songs since Coco's Remember Me in 2017, both the original film album and Rhythm of the Pride Lands are stellar examples of what Disney is capable of.
In an era of remakes and re-releases, as seen with projects like Epic Mickey, maybe Disney will revisit this piece of overlooked nostalgia. With any luck, we'll feel the Rhythm of the Pridelands sooner rather than later.
All of Disney's iconic music can be found on Spotify and other music streaming services.