The Lion Guard is an American animated spin-off television series inspired by The Lion King that premiered with a one-hour television film on November 22, 2015. The film was followed by a television series on Disney Junior, which released a preview episode on December 14, 2015. The first official episode aired January 15, 2016.[2] It features Kion, the son of Simba and Nala.[3]
In March 2016, the show was renewed for a second season.[4] In March 2017, it was renewed for a third season.[5]
The Lion Guard follows Simba's son, Kion, as he assembles a group of animals to protect the Pride Lands known as the Lion Guard. Disney Junior general manager Nancy Kanter has described the series as being "kind of like The Lion King meets The Avengers."[6][7]
Kion is the main protagonist. He is the son of Simba and Nala, and the younger brother of Kiara. He serves as the leader and fiercest member of the Lion Guard.
Following the successful theatrical re-release of The Lion King and its subsequent Blu-Ray release in 2011, Ford Riley was asked by Disney executives to expand the world of the franchise.[8] The series' announcement came after a meeting between Disney Junior general manager Nancy Kanter and Disney chief executive Robert Iger. Iger suggested to Kanter that Disney Junior should consider producing content to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of The Lion King in 2014. Disney has shown early footage to young test audiences, who were able to make suggestions, such as adjusting the look of the hyenas. Disney Consumer Products is to launch a line of toys to tie into the television series.[3] Many new books inspired by the series were released in late 2015 and early 2016. A full list can be accessed here.
A sneak peek of the show was given at Disney's D23 Expo from August 14–16, 2015.[9]
DVD releases
So far, two DVDs containing 11 episodes of the series were released in the United States.
The first season was originally to consist of 24 episodes, but was extended to 26 episodes instead.[8]
According to an interview Ford Riley did for TV Daily, The Lion Guard takes place in between Kiara's first encounter with Kovu and her first hunt in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.[10]
