LION is Executive Produced by “The Lion King” Director Jon Favreau and BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s Mike Gunton With the Score Composed by Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers Music LION Streams August 20 on Disney+
National Geographic has unveiled the official trailer for LION, an emotional real-life drama chronicling the extraordinary four-year journey of a tiny lion cub named Kio as he grows into a king.
The four-part event series premieres with all episodes streaming August 20 on Disney+.
LION is executive produced by Disney Legend and The Lion King live-action director Jon Favreau, alongside BBC Studios Natural History Unit Creative Director Mike Gunton, known for Planet Earth II and Dynasties. The series features an original score led by legendary Academy Award®-winning composer Hans Zimmer, whose acclaimed work includes Dune Parts One and Two, Interstellar, The Dark Knight trilogy, and Inception, together with Niccolò Pacella and George Huston Warren of Bleeding Fingers Music.
A Lion King’s Extraordinary Journey
Narrated by O.J. Lynch, known for Mufasa and The Lion King stage production, LION brings to life the remarkable true story of the Maasai Mara’s lion kings, queens, and a new hero named Kio.
Combining Favreau’s distinctive storytelling and passion with Gunton’s world-class natural history expertise, the ambitious series moves beyond the conventions of traditional wildlife documentaries. Instead, it presents a gripping, cinematic drama grounded in the realities of documentary filmmaking.
Zimmer leads the series’ score alongside Bleeding Fingers Music’s Niccolò Pacella and George Huston Warren, with additional vocals from the Nairobi Chamber Chorus. Drawing from recordings captured in Kenya’s Maasai Mara—including local singers, instruments, and even lion roars—the music combines the sweeping scale of a cinematic adventure with the emotional texture of the wild. It also subtly incorporates rerecorded musical references to The Lion King.
The LION original series soundtrack will be released through Hollywood Records on August 21 and will be available wherever music is streamed.
Four Years in the Making
Filmed over four years in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, LION is the first natural history production to document a lion’s complete journey from a vulnerable cub to king.
The production crew, which included local Kenyan filmmakers, completed nearly 1,400 filming days across 52 shoots—the longest amount of time ever spent in the field exclusively following a single pride.
“After tracking the lions in the field for four years, the pride never ceased to surprise us — what Kio endures and eventually becomes is extraordinary. Watching the hero’s journey against the backdrop of nature was incredible to witness,” said Favreau.
Echoing the themes that helped make the beloved animated film a classic, the series unfolds as a sweeping coming-of-age story about family, hope, and courage. Filled with drama, heart, and high-stakes adventure, LION promises an immersive co-viewing experience for animal lovers, families, and audiences drawn to epic storytelling.
Protecting the Pride
In celebration of National Geographic’s LION, Disney is continuing its “Protect the Pride” campaign in support of the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Lion Recovery Fund (LRF) and its conservation partners working across Africa.
The campaign supports the LRF’s goal of helping double the number of lions in the wild by 2050. Since “Protect the Pride” launched in 2019, Disney has invested more than $5 million in the LRF. Its network has since supported more than 400 conservation projects across 26 countries, focusing on stabilizing and recovering lion populations through locally led conservation solutions.
LION is produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit for National Geographic. Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton serve as executive producers, with Jane Atkins as series producer and Simon Blakeney as co-executive producer. For National Geographic, Janet Han Vissering and Tom McDonald serve as executive producers.
LION premieres with all four episodes streaming August 20 on Disney+.
