Film · in order
Lion King Movies in Order
There are five Lion King feature films: The Lion King (1994), Simba's Pride (1998), The Lion King 1½ (2004), the 2019 photorealistic remake, and Mufasa: The Lion King (2024). They split into two continuities, animated and photoreal, and release order is the recommended watch order. Black Is King (2020) is a Beyoncé visual album, not a sixth film.
Lion King Movies in Order: complete list
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Why this order?
The Lion King is a small catalog with an outsized number of ordering traps. The biggest is The Lion King 1½ (2004): despite being the third release, it is not a sequel at all. It runs chronologically concurrent with the 1994 original, retelling the same events from Timon and Pumbaa's point of view, and its international title, The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata, tricks people into slotting it after Simba's Pride as a continuation. It is not one - Simba's Pride (1998) is the only true story sequel. Because 1½ constantly riffs on scenes you are supposed to recognize, it plays best right after the original, even though its earliest scenes technically predate it.
The second trap is the fork. The 2019 film is a photorealistic remake that duplicates the 1994 story nearly beat for beat, starting a separate continuity that Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) continues. A single merged chronological list would make you watch the identical plot twice, so story order has to be two lists, one per continuity. And Mufasa is both prequel and sequel at once: its main story is set decades before the 2019 film, but its framing device, Rafiki telling the tale to Simba's daughter Kiara, sits after the 2019 film's ending. Strict chronology therefore suits rewatchers only; first-timers should take release order, 2019 then Mufasa.
For families, The Lion Guard is a retcon insertion between the 1994 film and Simba's Pride, starring Simba's son Kion, who never appears in the 1998 film because it predates the show by 17 years. Start with the 2015 pilot movie Return of the Roar, then the series; most of season 3 runs parallel to Simba's Pride's second act, and the final two episodes are an epilogue set after that film. The Timon & Pumbaa gag series and Black Is King carry no ordering weight at all.
Release order handles every one of these traps automatically, which is why it is the recommended order: 1994, Simba's Pride, 1½, the 2019 remake, Mufasa.
Timeline 1994-2024
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 1994 The Lion King
- 1995 's Timon & Pumbaa
- 1998 II: Simba's Pride
- 6-year gap
- 2004 1½
- 11-year gap
- 2015 The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar
- 2016 The Lion Guard
- 2019 The Lion King
- 2020 Black Is King
- 4-year gap
- 2024 Mufasa: The Lion King
Where to play it today
- All five feature films stream on Disney+ in the US and most regions; Mufasa arrived there March 26, 2025
- The Lion Guard (series and Return of the Roar), Timon & Pumbaa, and Black Is King are also on Disney+
- Availability varies by region and can change; the films are also on digital purchase and rental platforms (Amazon, Apple TV)
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for The Lion King.
Frequently asked questions
How many Lion King movies are there?
Five feature films: The Lion King (1994), The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), The Lion King 1½ (2004), the 2019 photorealistic remake, and Mufasa: The Lion King (2024). Some sources say six by counting Black Is King (2020), but that is a Beyoncé visual album companion piece, not a story film. On top of the films there are one TV movie (The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, 2015) and two TV series (Timon & Pumbaa, 1995-1999, 85 episodes; The Lion Guard, 2016-2019, 74 episodes).
What order should I watch the Lion King movies in?
Release order: the 1994 original, Simba's Pride, The Lion King 1½, the 2019 remake, then Mufasa. It handles every trap naturally - 1½ lands after you know the original, and Mufasa's framing device works because you have seen the 2019 film.
Is The Lion King 1½ a sequel?
No. It is a parallel film covering the same events as the 1994 original from Timon and Pumbaa's perspective. Its international title, The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata, is misleading - the only true sequel is Simba's Pride.
Is Mufasa a prequel or a sequel?
Both. The main story is set decades before the 2019 film, showing Mufasa's youth and how his adoptive brother Taka became Scar, but it is framed as a story told to Simba's daughter Kiara after the 2019 film's events. It belongs to the photoreal continuity, not the animated one.
Is the 2019 Lion King a sequel to the original?
No. It is a photorealistic remake of the same story, starting a separate continuity that Mufasa continues. You do not need the 1994 film to watch it, or vice versa - but watching both back to back means watching the same plot twice.
Do I need to watch The Lion Guard?
No. It is an optional kids' series set between the 1994 film and Simba's Pride, following Simba's son Kion. If you do watch it: the pilot movie Return of the Roar first, then seasons 1-3. Most of season 3 runs parallel to Simba's Pride's second act, and the final two episodes are an epilogue set after the film, so watching the film before those last two episodes matches strict chronology.
Where can I stream the Lion King movies?
All five films, plus The Lion Guard, Timon & Pumbaa, and Black Is King, are on Disney+ in most regions; Mufasa arrived there March 26, 2025. Availability varies by region, so check locally.
Will there be another Lion King movie?
Nothing is officially announced or dated as of August 2026. A further film in the photoreal branch has been reported to be in development, with a Simba's Pride adaptation the commonly floated candidate, but Disney has confirmed no title or release date - treat it as rumor.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, press.disneyplus.com, movieweb.com, screenrant.com
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