King Of The Jungle

Linda Woolverton

**King of the Jungle** (also called **The Lion King** ,**King of the Beasts,** or **KOTJ**) is an early draft of The Lion King.

In 2012, two screenplays were released, one written on January 19, 1990 by J.T. Allen, and another written on May 23, 1990 by Allen and Ron Bass. Both early screenplays are considerably different from the final version, as they feature violence, suggestive sexual content, and blatant incest. In the end, both drafts were scrapped, and few traces of the story material remain ingrained in the final film. The film was originally slated to be released November 12, 1993.

## Background

The idea started in late 1988 during a conversation between Jeffrey Katzenberg, Roy E. Disney, and Peter Schneider on a plane to Europe to promote the film *Oliver and Company*. During the conversation, the topic of a story set in Africa came up, and Katzenberg immediately jumped at the idea. Katzenberg also decided to add elements involving coming of age and death, and ideas from his personal life experiences, such as some of his trials in his bumpy road in politics, saying about the film, "It is a little bit about myself." In November of that same year, the original treatment, inspired by *Hamlet*, was written by Thomas Disch (author of *The Brave Little Toaster*), as "King of the Kalahari" in late 1988. Since his treatment was written as work-for-hire, Disch didn't received credit or royalties. The following year, *Beauty and the Beast* screenwriter Linda Woolverton did the first draft of the script, which was entitled *King of the Beasts* and then *King of the Jungle*.

However, the plot was centered in a battle being between lions and baboons with Scar being the leader of the baboons, Rafiki being a cheetah. *Oliver and Company* director George Scribner was the initial director of the film, alongside Roger Allers who joined the project as its initial director in October 1991. After the 6 months of story development work, Scribner resigned from his post as director, as he clashed with Allers with his intention of making a documentary-like film more focused on natural aspects, and also disagreed on turning the film into a musical. Allers was joined by a co-director, Rob Minkoff and *Beauty and the Beast* producer and directors Don Hahn, and Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale in two days' worth of meetings to retool the story, revising the lead character of Simba and rewriting the second half of the film.

The earliest version of "The Lion King" story was developed in 1989. The project's original title was "King Of The Jungle." Surprisingly, it was not intended to be a musical. Unlike most Disney animated features, which are adaptations of fairy tales or literary classics, "The Lion King" was based on entirely original material.  Throughout several years of development and production, plot lines, character designs and songs were added to, and deleted from, the story. The one constant through all these changes was that the story would revolve around the struggle for leadership among a pride of lions in the wilds of Africa after the death of their "king."

## Plot

* January 1990 version (''The Lion King'')
* May 1990 version (''King of the Beasts'')

In the middle of the Serengeti, as vultures circle overhead, Simba play-fights with his cousin, Nala, over a stick they've found on the ground. Two spinster ratels, Rina and Rada, take note of the cubs' playfulness. Rada calls for Simba and Nala, and Simba asks how they are. He then dashes away from the ratels and runs to catch up with Nala. He eventually does, and Nala questions him on how he will be king someday. She then pounces toward a locust. The locust leads the cubs to Daabi, a young aardvark with a slurred dialect, who hides behind a termite mound. Simba goes after her, and they merrily chase each other from one mound to another. Daabi asks Simba some questions about being king until her mother panics about her daughter being seen with a lion. Daabi tries to explain, but she is carried away from Simba by her mother. The same thing happens when Simba approaches baby ostriches.

Soon, he approaches a baby baboon, who tells him that Nala is up a tree. With the help of the baby baboons, Simba climbs up the tree and approaches Kwashi, an elderly but dignified baboon with a silver beard. Kwashi admits that he doesn't know Nala. Soon, the mother baboon shrieks in horror at Simba and carries her children off. Kwashi dismisses the young prince, and Simba leaves, disappointed.

Just then, Nala comes up, mocking Kwashi's "little imposter" comment toward Simba, and Banagi, a hyena, appears before them. The cubs run in different directions, and Banagi runs after Nala. Simba goes after the hyena until Kwashi, Mufasa, and Zazu arrive to scare off Banagi. Mufasa takes the cubs back home, and the narrator is revealed to be Kwashi.

Back home with the Ndona Pride, Mufasa, Zazu, Simba, and Nala watch as Sarabi, Naanda, and other lionesses hunt down a zebra. Along with Diku and Dwala, Sarabi's sisters, the lionesses successfully pin the zebra down. After the pride finishes their fill, a vulture named Kobi, along with the hyenas Baasho and Banagi, charges in to eat the remains of the zebra.

The scene transitions to night, with the pride fast asleep. Simba approaches his father about why he stays up all night, and Mufasa replies that he stays awake to report all that he sees to the Great Lion. Simba goes to sleep with his mother, who sings him an African lullaby, assuring him that he will be the next king.

Years later, Simba has grown into an adolescent. He sees Nala with the lionesses, and as he goes to catch up with her, he receives compliments from Rina and Rada on how much he has grown. Simba then pounces on Nala while she is hunting, but Sarabi dismisses her son, telling him that he and Nala have different roles in the pride now that they are older. Simba questions this, and Sarabi tells her son to ask his father about it.

Simba awakens his sleeping father, and Mufasa answers by stating that male lions have to protect the pride from intruders. Despite Simba's dissatisfaction with the simplicity of his new role, Mufasa and Zazu escort Simba to the termite mounds, where Simba tries to hunt down Daabi and the now full-grown ostrich chicks. Kwashi approaches Mufasa and tells him that Simba will never learn how to hunt if he only hunts his friends. Zazu tells the young cub that if all else fails, he must follow the vultures for food and water. Mufasa scolds his son for showing favoritism when he hunts, but Simba rebels against his father's instructions, claiming that "nature is wrong".

Not long after this, Naanda and Dwala approach Mufasa about an intruder who has attacked Sarabi. The intruder is discovered to be Scar, who is twice the size of Mufasa. He and Mufasa enter a brief battle, and Scar is defeated. Zazu escorts Scar to the border, and there, Banagi, who had watched the fight, compliments Scar and persuades him to be the next "king of the beasts".

Back among the pride, Nala has a quick conversation with Simba, but Scar returns to the pride with a pack of hyenas. Mufasa charges at them, but Scar and the hyenas overwhelm him as the pride looks on helplessly. Sarabi tells her son to run, and the hyenas chase after Simba. Despite assistance from Kwashi and Herr Rhino, Simba is still pursued by the hyenas, but he climbs up a dead tree branch, which breaks and falls.

An exhausted Simba is awakened by a tickbird, who tells him that he is on territory that belongs to an enemy pride. Three lions beside him scare him off, and Simba gets lost in a sandstorm. Meanwhile, back in the Serengeti, Zazu receives assistance from Rina and Rada, who repair his injured wing. The lionesses are gathered on a rock plateau, weary and pale over the shortage of food. An angered Sarabi engages in a quick duel with Baasho, but it is put down by Scar. Naanda tries to calm down her sister, and Nala questions her mother as to why they can't just run. Naanda replies that this territory has belonged to them for many generations.

Simba awakens from the sandstorm and sees two vultures. He then remembers Zazu's advice to follow the vulture to food and water, which leads him to follow the birds to where cheetahs are eating a gazelle. Back at Pride Rock, Banagi harasses the lionesses to hunt for more food, while Kwashi talks with Zazu about finding a lion to champion Scar. Meanwhile, Nala tries to approach Scar romantically, as Scar has been looking for a mate for some time.

Across the savanna, Simba asks the Lion in the Moon to tell him the status of the pride. Soon, he is approached by Timon, who tells him that younger meerkats are trying to sleep. Simba learns of Timon and Tesma's species, and Simba proclaims that he is a lion.

Back in the Serengeti, Nala grows tired of Scar and tells him that she wishes to go back to hunting. Scar refuses and slaps Nala, causing her to run from him. Nala then tells Scar that Banagi is controlling him, and Scar angrily objects to this, attacking a nearby Baasho. Back at the meerkat mounds, Simba is with Timon and his mate, Tesma, who is on sentry duty. There, Timon, along with the Komboli Rangers, scouts for food. Timon grabs hold of a seven-foot yellow cobra, who attempts to attack the colony. The Komboli Rangers eventually bury the cobra alive by digging under it.

While Kwashi and Zazu continue to search for a new lion to take over the pride, Timon accepts Simba as a Komboli Ranger and welcomes him into the colony. Simba soon departs from the meerkats, as he's learned that size does not always equal strength. Soon, Kwashi and Zazu awaken Simba and tell him that he has to return home to confront Banagi and the hyenas. Before he returns home, Simba invites Herr Rhino to accompany him to the fight. When Simba returns home, he is shocked by the emptiness of his homeland and organizes a strategic plan.

Within the pride, Scar is told by Banagi and Baasho that Nala is responsible for rebelling against him. After Scar throws an angry outburst, the lionesses protect Nala, and when Scar breaks through their resistance, Nala flees into the marshy borderland, where she finds Simba. Simba asks Nala about Scar's weaknesses, and she replies that Scar is fearful of lightning. Along with Nala and the rhino, Daabi and her cousin aardvarks, and Kwashi and the baboons become Simba's allies. Simba orders the aardvarks and ratels to dig a tunnel for Scar to fall into, while the baboons gather rocks overhead.

A storm breaks, and Nala gets Scar to follow her into the trap tunnel. Because of his fear of lightning, Scar falls into the tunnel, and Nala springs out of the hole as Simba's allies bury Scar in dirt. The baboons throw rocks at the fleeing hyenas, and with the help of the lionesses, Simba disperses the hyena pack. However, lightning strikes, and Scar springs from the trap. Simba and Scar engage in a fight. Unable to defeat Scar, Simba stops at a dead tree, and there, a dead branch falls on Scar, crushing him. After the fight, Simba banishes the hyenas to the desert and becomes the rightful king. The land eventually recovers, and Simba grows into an adult with a full mane. He joins his young son, his mate Nala, and the pride, where there are more cubs playing at their paws.

As the moon is set high in the nighttime sky, a fire is ravaging over the grasslands. Simba, a young lion cub, observes the fire in fear between his mother, Sarabi. Also, Dwala, Diku, Naanda, and Nala observe the fire. Simba asks his mother why aren’t the animals running, and Sarabi replies because they haven’t received his father’s orders yet. Mufasa and the three other male adolescent lions emerge from the fire. One of the lions approach Mufasa asking for a safe passage through his territory to which Mufasa agrees. As the fire rages on, an ancient acacia tree on the far side of the gorge topples over, crashing onto an arena-like plateau in the middle of the gorge. Mufasa grows concerned, worried that the sparks from the burning tree might leap from the plateau to the near side of the gorge. Soon, Mufasa gives his mate the signal to run, and the Ndona pride, the animals, Mufasa, and Zazu flee.

The next morning, Simba is playing with his friends, Lemuta, a zebra colt, and
Daabi, an aardvark, running down a slope with his friends chasing after him. Simba slips into a pool of water, with his friends laughing at him knowing his dislike of water. Soon, the three friends see the lionesses hunting down Lemuta’s herd and gazelles. Lemuta is relieved that his mother escaped unharmed and leaves to join his herd, but Simba and Daabi continue to go play. Daabi knocks Simba over into a mound, and as the friends brush themselves off, Nala emerges. Simba invites her to play, but Nala, who dislikes Daabi, decides to play another time. Feeling snubbed, Daabi leaves “hearing” his mother calling for him.

Simba decides to catch up with Nala, and asks her to play “King of the Beasts”. Simba tells her that he must sleep, and Nala must hunt for something to eat. Nala retrieves something to eat, and the cubs playfully wrestle with each other, and roll down into a dark hole. There, the cubs run into an angry warthog who charges at them, and Simba runs up into a tree. Unable to get to the cub, the warthog smashes into the tree, breaking it, crashing Simba to keep his balance. Meanwhile, Banagi, prince of the hyenas, Baasho, his lieutenant, and three other hyenas are discussing whether to let a fourth hyena join their "brotherhood" or not. Their meeting is suddenly interrupted when they hear Simba fleeing the warthog. Banagi quickly makes a decision, the looks at Baasho and "nods him into action". Banagi save the running cub from the warthog telling his father to give him his best wishes. In the nick of time, Sarabi and Nala come to the rescue astonished by this. The relieved cub tells his mother all that occurred, and Sarabi is not pleased that her husband is in debt to the hyenas.

Next, some vultures gather on top of a baobab tree, and below them, a pack of jackals and hyenas come forward. The lionesses of the Ndona pride come shortly after, and Mufasa arrives asking for Banagi. Banagi steps forward and Mufasa offers him a kill in payment of the debt. The hyenas viciously devour the meal while Simba sees a rogue lion named Scar, who is half the size of Mufasa. Sarabi holds her son back, and Zazu tells the lion to leave the territory. Scar ignores the warning, and enters into a fight with Mufasa. The rogue retreats leaving Banagi intrigued by him.

Back home, Simba and Nala have their final play for the night, and when Simba goes to lay with his mother, he asks about the whereabouts of his father. She tells that he went to look out for the rogue lion, and after that, she sings to him a lullaby promising him he will be king. A few years later, Simba, now an adolescent lion, is awakened when a fly flies into his ear. He sees his friend, Daabi, fully grown, and he asks Simba to come play. Simba, who is very sleepy, turns down the offer, and jolts up when the aardvark tells him that his mother is looking for him. Simba scans the horizon seeing Nala, also grown, hunting with the lionesses. He pounces her, and Sarabi tells him that his father was waiting for him at the hungodo tree by the riverbank. Simba races down to the riverbank and when he arrives, Zazu scolds him for his irresponsibility. Zazu escorts the young lion to his father, while Simba apologizes for his lateness, the proud king orders Zazu to complete a census of the nearby herds. Meanwhile, Mufasa takes his son to the grasslands, where Simba sees his friend, Lemuta, who has grown up. Mufasa tells his son that Lemuta can no longer be his friend. Simba questions this, and Mufasa replies that it is how the “Lion in the Moon” designed nature so lions can eat and zebras won’t overpopulate.

The two lions later go to take a drink, and at dusk, Mufasa is teaching Simba how to fight in the midst of a grove of fever trees. Simba throws himself at his father repeatedly, but always ends up on his back. Mufasa stresses the importance of knowing how to fight another lion, and informs Simba of a special, little-known maneuver which will defeat an opponent by biting the back of his neck. Mufasa demonstrates the move by standing at a 45-degree angle to Simba and telling Simba to charge him. As Simba does, Mufasa rolls into Simba's charge, springs to his feet as Simba whirls around to come after him, then leaps onto Simba's back and pushes him to the ground, ready to sink his teeth into his son's neck. He tells Simba to try the move, but predictably, Simba fails. He tries unsuccessfully two more times, but Mufasa tells him that he's doing well so far. By this time it is night, and they decide to stay where they are and sleep in shifts.

The next day, at a meerkat mound, Timon Vandmeer, headman of the meervillage, is approached by Mufasa, and is amazed by the new members in the Raiders. Timon introduces to the king to Desma, Jamila, Mandisa, Ozina, Lambida, and a meer baby named Nute. During a banquet with the meerkats, Mufasa is informed that the Mbala pride have recently reached the Ngoro ridge along the Ndona river. The lions leave the meerkat colony, and approach the edge of the river. After a quick chat, the lions dive into the Limpopo River (taken straight out of Runyard Kipling's ‘’Just-So Stories’’), and after brief encounters with crocodiles, they successfully cross over the river. At the Ngoro river, the three Mbala lions with three tickbirds quickly notices Mufasa and Simba. The three tickbirds approach Mufasa, and the Elder Lion of the Mbala pride dismisses them upon Mufasa’s request. Mufasa and the Elder Lion reach an agreement that the two prides can share the river peacefully giving the newly formed ridge over to his pride. As Mufasa and Simba leave, the Elder Lion tells Mufasa that they have the rogue, Scar. Mufasa thanks him for the notification.

Back at Pride Rock, Simba boasts to Nala how he “saved” his father from the crocodiles, while the lionesses question Mufasa about being away from the pride for so long. Mufasa replies he must in order to protect the pride from Scar. Meanwhile, at the hyena’s den, Banagi approaches Scar, and persuades him that he can overthrow Mufasa with help from his “half-dozen” hyena pack. Scar dismisses this until he sees that Banagi’s pack contains countless hyenas, and grins with pleasure. The next morning, Banagi approaches Mufasa telling him that Scar has captured Baasho, and challenges him to a fight at the fire tree bridge. Simba suggests to his father that they could ambush Scar, but Mufasa disagrees with the strategy, and plans to challenge the rogue at high noon. At noon, the Ndona Pride arrives at the bridge formed by the huge acacia that fell across the gorge at the beginning of the story, forming a blackened, hollow bridge from

the Ndona Pride's side of the gorge to a huge plateau in the center, bordered by rocks and bushes. During the fight, Mufasa, knowing he cannot win the fight, uses the 45-degree angle to Scar, in preparation for the move he taught to Simba, but the hyenas interfere in the fight in which Scar yells to stay out. The two lions continue the fight, and with Mufasa wore down, Scar leaps on top of Mufasa breaking his bones. Sarabi tells her son to run, but Simba stares wanting to take on the hyenas. Zazu and Nala convince Simba to run away, and Banagi orders the hyenas to pursue him, and to not return without Simba’s tail. After nearly a day of running, the hyenas grow weary, and Simba with Zazu continue to flee.

However, Baasho along with some of the hyenas catch up to Simba, and after a brief fight, the young prince continues to flee. Along the way, Simba and the hyenas fall into an edge of a cliff, save for Baasho. Nearby vultures try to feast on the nearly dead prince, but Zazu tries to shield him from the buzzards. One of the vultures grab hold of Zazu, but an awaken Simba roars scaring off the vultures. Simba then complains toZazu that he is hungry, in which Zazu states there isn’t any food for miles. After seeing a cheetah hunt down a gazelle until scared away by a vulture, Simba leaps into action, and scares off the vulture. Shortly after, the young lion consumes the prey, where Zazu instructs him to always “follow a bird to water”.

Back at Pride Rock, Nala complains about the hyenas wanting them to hunt when there’s not enough proof for them to eat. Soon, Scar approaches her, and asks her to sit down and talk about the situation. Suddenly, Baasho reports to Banagi and Scar confirming that Simba and Zazu are dead giving them Simba’s tail hair. The lionesses weep at the sad news of the “death” of the young prince until Sarabi tries to attack Baasho. Scar blocks Sarabi from attacking, and Naanda calms down her sister, and the lionesses live. At the bottom of Pride Rock, Nala complains why the lionesses tolerate Scar and the hyenas, and asks why not run away. Naanda replies because there is nowhere to go, as all of the surrounding territories are occupied by rogues and other prides.

As the day transcends into night, Simba, depressed and homesick, stares at the moon, and complains to the Lion in the Moon for allowing the past events to happen. Zazu tries to console Simba by telling him to go sleep, but Simba decides he will later on. Zazu then requests Simba to join a local pride, but due to Zazu’s elegant language, Simba mistakes him for requesting him to take over a pride. Zazu is astonished by this, but Simba carries the dialogue stating how horribly his pride is being run by Scar and the hyenas, and that the Lion in the Moon has a plan for his life, although he doesn’t know what it is. Touched by this, Zazu tells the young lion to sleep, in which Simba does shortly after. Unbeknownst to the two, a marshal eagle swoops down on Zazu, but the two fend off the eagle. Simba then remembers his father’s words of sleeping with guards, “you sleep with one eye”.

The next morning, in the Pride Lands, after Scar finishes a meal, he approaches the lionesses thanking them for the meal. Then, Scar asks Nala if she wants part of his meal, but Nala declines, and leaves. The other lionesses follow her lead only to complain privately about their situations, and having little to do to solve it. However, Nala requests to run away to find an ally, but Diku, Dwala, Naanda, and Sarabi shoot down the idea.

At an undisclosed termite mound, Banagi and Baasho plot behind Scar’s back to get rid of Nala fearing she is coming between their relationship with Scar. Daabi overhears their conversation, and tells Nala the next night. Nala thanks the aardvark for saving her life, and runs away.

After using Zazu as a compass, Simba decides to head east to return back home. Zazu requests Simba’s decision knowing that Scar will easily defeat him, but Simba decides he can handle him if he can defeat Banagai. Finally recognizing Simba’s courage, Zazu decides to escort the prince all the way back home. As the two march on the way home, they decide to lay down to sleep at a rock steepe until approached by Timon. Timon instantly thinks Zazu and Simba are looking for Nala, and tells them she is at a forest of fever trees. Zazu and Simba quickly run to find her, and at the fever trees, Banagi and the hyenas are also looking for her as well. Simba finds Nala attempting to camouflage behind a bush, and takes her to their “secret kid place”. The two begin a conversation on how much they matured, and Simba tells Nala his plan.

The next morning, as Scar drinks a water spring, Nala approaches him. Scar thinks Banagi and the hyenas found her, but Nala tells the wicked king that another lion found her. Scared at the notion of this, Nala tells Scar that the new lion wants to challenge him in a match (without the hyenas) at the fire tree bridge come nighttime. Suddenly, Banagi arrives finding the two lions, and is told about the challenge by Scar. After being told he wants no interference from the hyenas, Scar orders Banagi to escort Nala back to Pride Rock. At Pride Rock, Nala tries to blockade the hyenas by starting a fight with the lionesses. Then, Zazu arrives to guide the hyenas to the fight, and the hyenas quickly follow him.

At the fire tree bridge, Scar waits to challenge the lion. Simba arrives telling Scar that this land belongs to his pride, and the fight quickly ensues. Zazu and the hyenas arrive to watch the fight angering Scar. The fight resumes with Scar and Simba giving each other vicious blows. Knocking Simba off his feet, Scar lunges at Simba, but Simba pins him down suffocating him until the last breath. After defeating Scar, Simba asks Bangai to challenge him, and Bangai summons the hyenas to defeat him. With incredible strength, Simba defeats the hyenas, and asks Baasho to challenge him. Trembling with fear, Baasho and the rest of the hyenas bow before Simba. The lionesses arrive there too, and welcome their new king.

Now fully matured into an adult lion, Simba tells Zazu to complete a census of the herds while he takes his newborn son to watch over the Pride Lands much as his father did when he was a cub.
## Appearences

### Characters

* Mufasa
* Sarabi
* Simba
* Scar
* Nala
* Naanda
* Diku
* Dwala
* Rina
* Rada
* Herr Rhino
* Kwashi/Rafiki
* Banagi
* Baasho
* Timon
* Tesma
* Mheetu
* Kiongozi
* Bhati
* Pumbaa/Harold
* Angry Warthog
* Rombo
* Desma
* Jamila
* Mandila
* Taka
* Ozina
* Sarafina
* Nute
* Mandisa
* Zazu
* Young Mbala Lion
* Mbala Lion
* Elder Mbala Lion
* Lemuta
* Lemuta’s mother
* Daabi
* Kobi
* Prita
* Kopa/Young Lion
* Cyborg Colonel Sir Maximus Kemp

### Species

* Lions
* Hyenas
* Hornbills
* Tickbirds
* Meerkats
* Warthogs
* Baboons
* Aardvarks
* Elephants
* Rhinos
* Giraffes
* Vultures
* Jackals
* Zebras
* Bat-Ear Foxes
* Spinster Ratels
* Crocodiles
* Leopards
* Cheetahs
* Antelope
* Iguanas
* Cape dogs
* Termites
* Wildebeests
* Ostriches
* Hippos
* Leopards
* Guinea Fowls
* Humans

### Locations

* Pride Lands
* Termite mounds
* Fire Tree Bridge
* Komboli Desert
* Pride Rock
* Desert
* Colony

### Organization and Titles

* Ndona Pride
* Mbala Pride
* Banagi’s clan
* Komboli Rangers

## Voice Cast

* James Earl Jones as Mufasa
* Donald Glover as Simba (Young)
* Sean Connery as Simba (Adult)
* Ernie Sabella as Harold
* Nathan Lane as Timon