Why ‘The Lion King’ Should’ve Won the Golden Globe for ‘Best Animated Feature’
Simba may be the king of Pride Rock, (and the box office,) but this movie disappointed fans at the 2020 Golden Globes. Although The Lion King earned nominations in multiple categories, other animated and live-action films won over Disney’s photo-real remake. Here’s why The Lion King, and Beyoncé, should’ve won at this award show.
Disney premiered their photo-real adaptation of ‘The Lion King’ during summer 2019
During summer 2019, Disney’s photo-real adaptation of The Lion King pounced into theaters, bringing the company over a billion dollars in box office sales. This film featured a predominately new cast, a new song, and the same lovable characters native to Pride Rock. However, The Lion King differed from the original animated movie primarily through its CGI animation.
“I knew that with the tools that we had and what the technology had to offer and the team that had done such a great job on Jungle Book that there was an opportunity here to show the naturalism of that world,” Director Jon Favreau said during an interview for The Big Ticket podcast. “I understood how to make animals act and talk through animation.”
This animated movie featured the voices of Beyoncé, Donald Glover, and even Seth Rogen
This adaptation of The Lion King featured a star-studded cast, voice acting for characters like Simba, Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa. Among the best-known actors are Donald Glover (Childish Gambino,) Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, James Earl Jones, and Grammy-award winning singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
Beyoncé took her involvement one step further, writing an album inspired by the story of The Lion King and African culture. The Lion King: The Gift featured musicians and producers from Africa, in addition to musicians like Donald Glover, Jay-Z, and Kendrick Lamar.
Beyoncé’s song, “Spirit” appears on this album, as well as the soundtrack for the original motion picture. It was this song that earned a nomination at the Golden Globes, for “Best Original Song.” Additionally, The Lion King earned a nomination in the “Best Animated Feature” category.
Which movie won the Golden Globe for ‘Best Animated Feature?’
A few months after its premiere, Disney’s The Lion King earned nominations for the 2020 Golden Globes. It was nominated in the “Best Animated Feature” category, along with movies like Toy Story 4, Frozen 2, and Missing Link.
However, to the disappointment of Disney fans everywhere, The Lion King lost in this category to Missing Link. Beyoncé and The Lion King lost in the “Best Original Song” category to Elton John and his Rocketman song, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.”
There’s still a chance for The Lion King to grab a few Academy Awards, as some predict nominations in the “Best Original Song” and “Best Animated Feature” categories. “Spirit” already earned a nomination at the Grammy Awards, which take place later during January 2020.
The original animated version of The Lion King is currently available for streaming on Disney+. The 2019 adaptation joins the streaming service’s library on Jan. 28, 2020. Until then, fans can listen to the film’s original soundtrack on Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms.
