A Real King Will Rise Series Producer Jane Atkins Talks About Lion

LION is an emotional, real-life drama that chronicles the remarkable four-year journey of a tiny lion cub named Kio to become a king. Filmed in Kenya's Masai Mara, this is the first natural history production to document a lion's complete journey from vulnerable cub to king. The crew, including local Kenyan filmmakers, logged nearly 1,400 filming days across 52 shoots — the most time ever spent in the field exclusively following a single pride.LION is executive produced by Disney Legend and “The Lion King” live-action director Jon Favreau and BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s Creative director Mike Gunton (“Planet Earth II,” “Dynasties”), with the score led by legendary Academy Award®-winning composer Hans Zimmer (“Dune” parts one and two, “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Inception”). With narration by O.J. Lynch (Mufasa, “The Lion King” stage production), LION brings to life the extraordinary true story of the Masai Mara's lion kings, queens and a new hero named Kio. Blending Jon Favreau's distinctive storytelling and passion with Gunton’s world-class natural history expertise, the ambitious series goes beyond traditional wildlife documentaries to deliver a gripping, blockbuster drama rooted in documentary truth.