The Live-Action The Lion King Is Now Streaming on Disney Plus

Look, you got your Disney+ subscription for two things: a quiet bounty hunter traversing the galaxy with his baby, a merchandising jackpot, and talking animals. The latter is covered and then some with the streaming debut of 2019's The Lion King, which is now available to watch on Disney+. (The original 1994 animated version is also available on Disney+.)

The Lion King is another of Disney's efforts to adapt its classics into "live-action," turning cartoons into realistic films featuring human actors on live sets. The Lion King is a bit of an exception to that rule, instead using computer-generated animals to bring life-like animals into the adaptation of the 1994 film. Jon Favreau directed it, with voice work from Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and James Earl Jones.

If you are that last person on Earth who doesn't know what The Lion King is about, it follows a young lion cub on a journey to becoming king of Pride Rock and all the animals in the African savanna, which is complicated by his jealous uncle.

What's Coming to Disney Plus in February

The film was released in July 2019 and received mixed reviews from critics, most bemoaning its necessity as it was mostly a reproduction of the original minus the charming animation. Audiences didn't seem to mind; it's currently the highest-grossing animated movie ever and seventh-highest grossing film of all-time, raking in more than $1.6 billion worldwide.

The Lion King is now streaming on Disney+. Find out what's coming to the streaming service in February.