“The Lion King” is one of the best Disney films ever made. I dare say even better than “Frozen.” Yes, I said it. “The Lion King” tops “Frozen” and will always top “Frozen.” But enough of me inspiring hateful comments. The fact of the matter is that “The Lion King” is an institution, a film that still inspires awe and tears. In honor of its 20th anniversary, Disney has been revisiting “The Lion King” in many forms. One of those ways is by announcing a new Disney Junior cartoon based on “The Lion King” called “The Lion Guard.” Many of the film’s fans are already in outrage. You can read their responses at Disney’s blog.

Here’s the jist of “The Lion Guard” and just as a warning–if you know “The Lion King” lore and canon, “The Lion Guard” will make no sense. The show follows Kion, Simba and Nala’s second-born cub and younger brother to Kiara (the lioness who married Kovu in “The Lion King 2”). He and his prideland friends will teach kids about conservation, problem solving, diversity and the importance of family and community. There will also be some cameos made by Mufasa (presumably in ghost form), Rafiki, Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu and Kiara.

This is all well and good, but those of us who are big fans of “The Lion King” are hoping that this won’t ruin the film like “The Lion King 2” and “The Lion King 1/2” threatened to do. Yeah, it’s a kids’ show, but Disney is more than well-known for watering down their own properties with spin-offs and stuff.

Take a look at Kion below and write what you think about the show in the comments section!

The Lion Guard Kion

By Monique Jones

Monique Jones blogs about race and culture in entertainment, particularly movies and television. You can read her articles at Racialicious, and her new site, COLOR . You can also listen to her new podcast, What would Monique Say.

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