Tuesday, June 20 & Friday, June 23 | Disney unmistakably echoes Hamlet (with some Henry IV and Biblical references on the side) in THE LION KING, a film for children that still adroitly tackles the mature themes of grief and revenge. After his father, the great lion Mufasa is murdered by his devilish uncle Scar, the cub Simba narrowly escapes his own demise, hiding out and learning to survive while Scar ascends to the throne. When it was released, THE LION KING became the highest-grossing animated feature of all time—that has since been spun-off, remade, and adapted into a hit Broadway show—underscoring the universality of the expectations a father leaves for a son.

Awards & Nominations

Winner - Best Song, Best Score, Academy Awards
Winner - Best Animated Film, Annie Awards

Daddy Issues: Paternal relationships—from the challenging to the cherished—have been consistent fodder for the big screen. In the ten films of our Daddy Issues series—timed perfectly for you to celebrate (or denounce) Father’s Day—we take a closer look at the foundational father figure in film. From the heroic to the delinquent, from the absent to the affable, the fathers of Daddy Issues have raised us, onscreen and off. View full series.