King of the Jungle (1992 draft)

King of the Jungle is an early treatment for what would become The Lion King. It was dated September 11, 1992.
==Synopsis==
One morning, the Pride Landers gather at Pride Rock to honor the birth of the prince heir, Simba. The cub's parents, Mufasa and Sarabi, looked on proudly as Rafiki bestowed special blessings on their son ("Circle of Life"). After the ceremony, Mufasa confronted his brother, Scar, for missing Simba's presentation. Zazu accused Scar of being jealous of Simba for being the heir to the throne, while Mufasa extended the hand of friendship to his brother. However, Scar refused.
Seasons later, when Simba was a cub, Mufasa took Simba to the top of Pride Rock and showed him the entirety of the Pride Lands. He then warned Simba to not venture beyond the kingdom's borders, else he would encounter their mortal enemies, the hyenas. Together, father and son strolled through the Pride Lands, during which Mufasa saved his subjects from a flash flood ("To Be King"). This left Simba in awe.
Later, Simba bragged to Scar about his role as the future king of the Pride Lands. Miffed, Scar used reverse psychology to speak of the dangers of the Elephant Graveyard, which made Simba eager to prove his bravery there. The cub fetched his friend, Nala, and the two set off for adventure, with Zazu as their reluctant babysitter. Eventually, the cubs reached the Elephant Graveyard and got chased by several hungry hyenas. Just in time, Mufasa arrived and saved the cubs' lives, after which he scolded Simba for his disobedience.
After the rescue, Mufasa reminded Simba that being brave did not mean that one should go looking for trouble. He then assured the cub that he had plenty of time to learn how to be a good king. Afterward, Sarabi sang a tender lullaby to Simba to ease his fears ("Sarabi Lullaby").
Meanwhile, Scar visited the hyenas in their hideout and lambasted them for failing to kill Simba and Nala. Indignant, the hyenas asked if they were expected to kill Mufasa too, which gave Scar an idea. The lion proceeded to wrangle the hyenas into his plot to assassinate both Mufasa and Simba ("Be Prepared").
The next day, Scar led Simba into a gorge and instructed him to wait for Mufasa to arrive. After ensuring that Simba was going to stay put, Scar gave the hyenas the signal to start a stampede of wildebeests. He then fetched Mufasa and Zazu, and brought them to the gorge. Though Zazu tried to leave for help, Scar knocked him out cold. In the meantime, Mufasa saved Simba's life and attempted to climb up the side of the gorge to safety, only for Scar to intercept him and throw him to his death. Simba soon found his father's dead body, and Scar blamed the cub for Mufasa's death. He sent the hyenas after Simba, but the cub managed to escape.
After the stampede, Scar delivered Zazu's unconscious body to the pride and told them that both Mufasa and Simba had perished. He then delivered a eulogy for the dead while the lionesses cried out mournfully.
In the Outlands, Simba wandered, near-death. Before long, he was attacked by vultures, but a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumbaa saved his life. They revived him in a jungle oasis, where Simba confessed that he was to blame for his father's death. In an effort to comfort him, Timon and Pumbaa taught him how to live according to their irresponsible lifestyle ("Warthog Rhapsody").
In the following seasons, the Pride Lands became a wasteland because the hyenas over-hunted the herds and controlled the water hole. Scar lamented his unpopularity to Zazu and demanded to know how Mufasa had been different. Zazu listed off several positives about Mufasa, and Scar fixated on one in particular: Mufasa had had a queen. He promptly sent Zazu to fetch Nala, whom he proposed to. She refused his offer, then launched into complaints about the state of the Pride Lands. She grew so heated that she vowed to lead an open revolt against him, which prompted him to banish her from the kingdom and introduce the hyenas as his new executive staff ("Be Prepared (reprise)").
Nala journeyed to the jungle, where she attempted to hunt down Pumbaa. Just in time, Simba saved Pumbaa's life, and the two lions recognized each other as childhood friends. Overjoyed, the two left Timon and Pumbaa behind and spent a romantic evening together in the jungle. After a time, Simba confessed that Mufasa's death was his fault, and Nala informed him that the Pride Lands was falling apart in his absence. Despite Nala's dire news, Simba refused to return home and instead convinced her to stay with him in the jungle ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight").
That night, Simba could not sleep and wandered off by himself. He soon encountered Rafiki, who led him to a reflecting pool. There, Simba was confronted by the spirit of Mufasa, who implored him to seize his destiny and take his place in the Circle of Life. Moved by the experience, Simba told Nala, Timon, and Pumbaa that he had to return home, then set off alone to confront Scar. Secretly, the three tailed him.
At Pride Rock, Simba confronted Scar, and a battle broke out between the lionesses and the hyenas. During the fight, Simba learned that Scar was to blame for Mufasa's death, and the two had an impassioned fight. Simba defeated Scar in their fight to the death, after which he took his place as the rightful king of the Pride Lands. Under Simba's reign, the Pride Lands was restored, and Rafiki presented Simba and Nala's newborn cub to the exultant Pride Landers ("Circle of Life (reprise)").
==Appearances==
==Gallery==
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Category:Concepts
Category:Drafts
Category:Real world