Discussion began about the possibility of a sequel to The Lion King before the first film even hit theaters.[1] In January 1995, it was reported that a Lion King sequel was to be released "in the next twelve months".[2] However, it was delayed, and then it was reported in May 1996 that it would be released in "early next year" of 1997.[3] By 1996, producer Jeannine Roussel and director Darrell Rooney signed on board to produce and direct the sequel.[4] In December 1996, Matthew Broderick was confirmed to be returning as Simba while his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Jennifer Aniston were in talks to voice Aisha, Simba's daughter. Andy Dick was also confirmed to have signed on to voice Nunka, the son of Scar, who attempts to romance Aisha.[5] Ultimately, the character was renamed Kiara, and voiced by Neve Campbell.[6] Nunka was renamed Kovu, and voiced by Jason Marsden.[7] Then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner urged for Kovu's relationship to Scar to be changed during production as being Scar's son would make him Kiara's first cousin once-removed. According to Rooney, the final draft gradually became a variation of Romeo and Juliet. "It's the biggest love story we have," he explained. "The difference is that you understand the position of the parents in this film in a way you never did in the Shakespeare play."[8] Because none of the original animators were involved in the production, the majority of the animation was done by Walt Disney Television Animation's studio in Sydney, Australia. However, all storyboarding and pre-production work was done at the Feature Animation studio in Burbank, California.[8] By March 1998, Disney confirmed the sequel would be released on October 27, 1998.[9]
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Short film