If I tell you “When the whole world persecutes you, you must persecute the world”…you think? To a cult line from Timon just before singing There are no complications with Pumbaa? Bingo! Wednesday January 1, 2025 at 9:10 p.m., M6 broadcasts The Lion King32nd animated classic from Disney studios, released in 1994. Arriving on the heels of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast et Aladdinit has delighted several generations, now connoisseurs of the cult songs of a film which is just as cult. The feature film, which tells the story of Simba, a lion cub trapped by his uncle Scar, who grows up surrounded by a mongoose and a warthog before becoming king, has also had two sequels. After having traumatized millions of children with the death of Mufasa, in 1998 the love story between Kiara and Kovu still left a mark on some minds in The Lion King 2: Honor of the Tribebefore returning in 2004 with The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matatasorte de making of du premier volet.
And the French’s favorite Disney is…
Since then, the saga has continued to attract attention, notably returning in a live action version in 2019, then in winter 2024 with Mufasa : The Roi lionwhich looks back at the story of Mufasa and Scar, long before they competed for power. But the 1994 version retains a special place in the hearts of the French since more than 10.2 million went to theaters to see it when it was released. In 2020, Business Insider commissioned a study from the YouGov institute to determine their favorite animated film among the Disney classics. 1,007 people responded and chose from 44 films. If The Little Mermaid only comes in 22nd place, Mulan takes 13th place. The Snow Queen is on the ninth step of the podium, ahead of the indestructible 101 Dalmatians et The Aristocats. Cinderella loses his slipper on the fifth step, behind Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But it is the very cheerful and singing Lion King which wins the crown with 16.37% of the votes in its favor. The fact remains that if he was elected by a panel of voters, he is not the first in the hearts of the editor!
The Lion Kingnot the favorite film of part of the editorial staff of Tele-Leisure
Corentin, for example, would undoubtedly have pushed the first Disney studio classic, released in 1937, to first place in the ranking. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs certainly remains my favorite Disney, whether for its story, its villain, its songs and above all… the seven dwarfs! It's the animated classic from my childhood that I always watch with pleasure !”he admits. For Cédric, it’s impossible to choose just one film. “My heart swings between Beauty and the Beast and Frozen. In the first, I love the colorful characters like Lumière, Big Ben, Madame Samovar and Zip, as well as the songs, between the fireworks from It’s the Party and the Romanticism of Histoire Eternal, he confides. In Frozen, despite my blue-blooded side which I embrace 100%, I like the fact that Elsa doesn't need a prince charming to get out of the worst situations. And even if I know that it exasperates many parents, I love Liberated, delivered that I know by heart”. For Mathilde, it's a classic from the 1940s that takes everything in its path. “Dumbo begins, like all good Disney films, with a drama and a song that could make even the toughest people cry. With his ears as big as his heart, the baby elephant is an extremely endearing hero”. As for me, it's Aladdin and his flying carpet, Abu, the Genie and his spooky tricks, the terrifying Jafar, the versatile Iago and the stubborn Jasmine who take him to my heart. We all agree that The Lion King remains a great film in many ways. But which one do you prefer?
