Jon Favreau Just Did Something That Has Never Been Done Before for Nat Geo’s ‘Lion’
National Geographic’s Lion follows Kio, a lion cub born on the African savanna, over four years as he faces loss, exile and conflicts with rival prides. Executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton say it is the first nature documentary to chart a lion’s path from cub to king, offering an unusually character-led account of a wild animal’s formative years.
The filmmakers initially expected the story to centre on four influential female lions, but an older lioness and what was likely her final cub became the focus. Favreau, who had previously collaborated with Gunton on Prehistoric Planet, said the production required them to accept the unpredictability of real wildlife rather than control events as they could with animation; Hans Zimmer composed the score, adding a connection to Disney’s The Lion King.
- Lion tracks Kio from cubhood towards adulthood over four years.
- It is presented as National Geographic’s first cub-to-king lion documentary.
- Filmmakers adapted to an unpredictable real-life wildlife story.
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National Geographic’s Lion is a wildlife series that follows a single lion, Kio, from cubhood across four years on the African savanna. It traces the dangers and changes he faces as he grows, including separation from his family and clashes with other lions.
The series is made by executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton. Favreau has also worked with Gunton on Prehistoric Planet, but filming real animals meant following events as they happened rather than shaping them as in animation.
The filmmakers first expected the story to focus on several adult female lions, but the older lioness and her cub became central. The score is by Hans Zimmer, whose work on Disney’s The Lion King gives the project a link to another well-known portrayal of lions.