Jon Favreau's 2019 live-action The Lion King grossed a record $1.66 billion (£1.3 billion) at the box office, prompting the director to wonder whether the plot could be recreated in real life. He contacted Mike Gunton, creative director of the BBC's Natural History Unit, and the result is LION, a new documentary from National Geographic.
A Real-Life Lion King Story
LION follows Kio, a real cub in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, as he rises to become ruler of his pride. With lion cub survival rates at just 50%, the series was the result of 1,000 hours of filming.
“Poor Jon,” laughs Mike. “Every time I spoke to him, which was every week, it would always begin with ‘Is Kio still alive?’”
“That’s why it was mad doing it. I think we pulled it off, but funnily enough, the further you go through with it, the worse it gets. You’ve made more investment, more connection with the animal.”
The Challenges of Filming
Starting out as the youngest and most vulnerable of his pride, Kio battles to earn the respect of his brothers, supported by his mother Summer. When tragedy strikes, the young lions are forced to rely on each other.
“This idea of the dispassionate filmmaker is a load of old whatsit,” admits Mike. “Of course you’re invested. What hopefully comes across in this film is that their lives are tough.”
“You see the decisions they make, or somebody else makes in their family, or some event occurs which can impact their lives and you’re absolutely caught up in it. You feel like they’re your brother.”
A New Era for Nature Documentaries
Mike, who has worked with David Attenborough for more than 40 years, says there will never be a new Attenborough. “He is unique, and has defined so much about what it is to be a wildlife presenter, and that partly is historical, because it started when he kind of invented it.”
“But that does not mean there will not be other ways of telling stories. I’ve just done a series with Tom Hanks, I’ve done a series with Jon Favreau. There are other voices, other perspectives.”
LION is now out on National Geographic, airing in two weekly double bills at 8pm and 9pm. All four episodes stream from August 20 on Disney+.
