'The Lion King' Returns to TV With 'The Lion Guard'

Kion in The Lion Guard

The Lion King is coming back to television on Disney Junior and Disney Channel.

The Lion Guard, a new animated series targeting kids age 2-7, will debut in early 2016. A full-length TV movie of the same name will precede the series in Fall 2015.

The series will follow the adventures of Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala as he sets out to preserve the Pride Lands by organizing a group of diverse animals: a honey badger (who we presume doesn't care), a cheetah, a hippo and an egret. There will be appearances by other Lion King alums including Mufasa (wait, isn't he dead?), Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki and Zazu. We'll also meet Kion's big sister, Kiara, the future Queen of the Pride Lands.

The Lion Guard is being developed by executive producer Ford Riley and will be directed by Howy Parkins.

This will be the first Lion King-based television series since Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa ran on CBS and in syndication (it was part of The Disney Afternoon) from 1995-1997.

He's working on his roar.

Related:
The Making of 'The Lion King'

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Disney Animator Ruben Aquino in 'The Mouse Castle Lounge'

Ruben Aquino

Ruben Aquino didn't set out to become an animator. He originally had plans to be an architect. Talent, timing and dumb luck had other ideas, though, leading Ruben to a 30-plus year career at Walt Disney Animation.

His memorable creations include Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Maurice in Beauty and the Beast, Adult Simba in The Lion King, Powhatan in Pocahontas, Captain Shang in Mulan, Pleakley and David in Lilo & Stitch, and Eudora and James in The Princess and the Frog.

Ruben's repertoire reflects a remarkable versatility. His characters range from heroes to villains to supporting players defying any specific type. "I kind of always wanted to try different things," says Ruben. "So I always let the directors kind of cast me where they thought I could help out the most."

Simba in The Lion King

In part one of our conversation in The Mouse Castle Lounge, Ruben and I discuss his early animation career that included a brief stint at Hanna-Barbera. He also talks about the chain of events that landed him at Disney and shares why Ursula will always be his favorite character. Enjoy!

Download: http://traffic.libsyn.com/themousecastle/TheMouseCastleLounge03-24-2014.mp3

Related Stories: Celebrating 'The Mouse Castle Lounge's' First Anniversary with Pat Carroll
In the MCL: Disney Animator Ruben Aquino, Part Two

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