22 Years Ago Today, The Greatest Disney Sequel Released and Took the World By Surprise

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Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the release of what many consider Disney’s best sequel ever – a film that surprised everyone by going straight to DVD. Disney has a long history of making sequels to its popular animated movies. While sequels now usually premiere in theaters, there was a time when Disney often released them directly on video. This was typically because these sequels were made on smaller budgets and weren’t expected to live up to the original films.

Fans were genuinely surprised by one particular direct-to-DVD sequel – it was remarkably good! Not only did it surpass the previous sequel in quality, but it cleverly reminded everyone what made the original film so special. The Lion King 1 1/2, released on DVD 22 years ago today – February 10, 2004 – was a hilarious addition to the series and a refreshing tribute to the beloved original.

Disney’s The Lion King 1 1/2 Sequel Released 22 Years Ago Today

Originally released on February 10, 2004, The Lion King 1 1/2 was made quite differently from the first film. Directed by Bradley Raymond at Disneytoon Studios, it wasn’t intended to be as grand in scale as the original. However, unlike the first sequel, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, which suffered from trying to match the original, this smaller scope actually made 1 1/2 a success. In fact, Timon and Pumbaa frequently acknowledged they were in a movie, directly addressing the audience and breaking the fourth wall.

A common critique of the original The Lion King was its strong resemblance to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The Lion King 1 1/2 expands on this by telling the story of Timon and Pumbaa during the events of the first film. Similar to Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which retells Hamlet from the perspective of minor characters, The Lion King 1 1/2 gives Timon and Pumbaa a more central role and explores their experiences during the original story.

Unlike a typical sequel, The Lion King 1 1/2 tells the story of how Timon and Pumbaa became involved with Simba. The film shows us their lives leading up to meeting Simba and emphasizes the risks they took to help him reclaim his kingdom. Fortunately, Timon and Pumbaa weren’t sidelined or killed off like some supporting characters – they got to continue thriving in their own story.

Why This Disney Sequel Was So Special

While acknowledging and referencing its own fictional nature might feel common now, The Lion King 1 1/2 was genuinely innovative when it first came out. The movie featured Timon and Pumbaa “watching” The Lion King and wanting to restart it from the beginning to make sure new viewers weren’t lost. This led to a look at their backstory, offering fans a fresh perspective on the duo. Before this, only a few projects like Stitch and the House of Mouse TV show had Disney characters directly acknowledge their roles within the movies themselves.

For fans of The Lion King, The Lion King 1 1/2 offers a fresh perspective by showing events from Timon and Pumbaa’s point of view. What began as a playful concept surprisingly stayed true to the original film, even bringing back Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella to voice the beloved duo. This sequel was remarkably unique—something no other Disney direct-to-video release had achieved before, or since—and felt like a genuine tribute to the classic.

Beyond everything else, the movie is genuinely hilarious. It captures the charm of Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King and gives them center stage in what became one of the last truly great adventures in the franchise before its quality declined. It remains the best sequel to the original animated film that fans have ever seen.

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2026-02-11 00:12