The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride is the sequel to The Lion King, the blockbuster hit for Disney Studios in 1994. Luckily, you can now watch The Lion King 2 online.
The straight-to-video movie released in 1998 and tells the story of Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara, who falls for the son of a rival pride’s leader. The film was heavily influenced by the class Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. Many of the voice actors from The Lion King reprised their roles for the sequel including James Earl Jones, Neve Campbell, and Robert Guillaume. Matthew Broderick voiced Simba for the film.
You can see The Lion King 2 streaming today. Critics generally favored the film, which spawned an animated series focused on the years between Kiara’s and Kovu’s first meeting as cubs. The Lion King franchise includes four feature-length animated films, four animated series, several shorts, a musical, and a computer-animated reboot of the original movie. Here’s how to stream The Lion King 2 right now:
How to Stream ‘Lion King II’ – Exclusively on Disney+
The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride is one of the fan-favorite Disney animated sequel movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream The Lion King 2 and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Lion King 2”
- 5. Tap on The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride
- 6. Tap the PLAY button
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘Lion King II’: Overview
Release Date: October 27, 1998
Creators: Flip Kobler, Cindy Marcus, Jeannine Roussel
Director: Darrell Rooney, Rob LaDuca
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Neve Campbell, James Earl Jones, Robert Guillaume, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane
Rating: G
Synopsis: Kiara, the daughter of Simbe and Nala, develops a friendship with Kovu, who is set to lead Scar’s banished pride. The two are kept apart by their rival parents, but fall in love anyway and struggle to unite their warring prides.
How Long Is ‘The Lion King II’?
The Lion King II has a running time of 82 minutes.
‘Lion King II’ Plot
Rafiki, the mandrill shaman for the Pride Lands of Africa, presents King Simba and Queen Nala’s cub to the pride as Mustafa watches from the heaves. The cub is named Kiara. As she grows, Kiara thinks Simba is too protective of her and sneaks away. Simba appoints Timon and Pumbaa, a warthog and a meerkat, to follow and protect her. This pushed Kiara to be even more annoyed and she goes into the forbidden “Outlands” where she meets another cub, Kovu.
Together, they escape crocodiles and become friends. As they are playing, Kiara strikes Kovu, who strikes back, and Simba sees it. Simba confronts the young cub, but then Kovu’s mother, Zira, steps in. Zira was Scar’s mate and she reminds Simba that Kovu will be the exiled pride’s leader one day.
Simba and Kiara return to the Pride Lands and she is forbidden to return to the Outlands. When she is a young adult, Kiara goes on her first solo hunt and is once again followed by Timon and Pumbaa at Simba’s urging. She runs away from the Pride Lands and into a trap set by Zira. Her other two sons set a fire so that Kovu can rescue her. Simba is thankful that Kovu rescued her and invites him into the Pride Lands but that night has a nightmare about when his father was killed.
In his dream Scar morphs into Kovu and kills Simba. Kovu, meanwhile, is considering how to attack Simba but Kiara distracts him from his mother’s plan. As the two rebuild their friendship, Kovu is conflicted about his mission and his friendship with Kiara. Rafiki steps in, leading the two into the jungle where they fall in love and Nala encourages Simba to give Kovu a chance to live with them in the Pride Lands.
The following day, Kovu decides to carry on with his mother’s plot and the Outsiders attack Simba. Kovu’s brother is killed but Simba escapes and Zira turns on Kovu. Kovu returns to the Pride Lands and begs Simba’s forgiveness but Simba won’t budge. Kiara goes after Kovu and they confess their love; they are determined to unite their two prides but seeing their commitment, Zira attacks Simba again. Kiara saves her father but Zira is drowned in the aftermath. Simba accepts the Outsiders back into the pride and makes Kiara and Kovu his successors.
‘Lion King II’ Cast
Many of the actors from the original Lion King film returned to their roles for the sequel including Neve Campbell, Matthew Broderick, and James Earl Jones. Moira Kelley, Nathan Lane and Suzanne Pleshette also leant their voices to the film. Here are the main cast members:
Matthew Broderick as Simba
Simba is the overprotective father of Kiara and the leader of the Pride Lands.
Matthew Broderick is a star of both stage and screen who has been nominated for 18 awards over the course of his career. He is best known as the title character from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but has appeared in films such as WarGames, The Producers, and the TV series Daybreak.
Neve Campbell as Kiara
Kiara is the headstrong daughter of Simba, who wants to find her own way.
Neve Campbell is an award-winning actress, producer, and writer who is best known as Sidney Prescott in the Scream franchise of films. In addition to those roles, she has appeared in TV series such as Party of Five and House of Cards, and films including Skyscraper, An Amish Murder, and Wild Things.
Robert Guillaume as Rafiki
Rafiki is the shaman for the Pride Lands; he is a mandrill.
Robert Guillaume was an award-winning actor, singer, director, and producer who is best known as the title character from the hit TV series Benson. He won an Emmy for the role and was nominated for four more Emmys. His other big roles include playing Rafiki in The Lion King franchise, and the TV series Sports Night.
Jason Marsden as Kovu
Kovu is the son of Zira and the heir to Scar’s ‘Outsiders’ pride. He is torn between loyalty to his mother and his love for Kiara.
Jason Marsden is a well-known actor who has appeared in several TV series, including Full House and Boy Meets World. He is also a talented voice actor, appeared in several Disney hits including A Goofy Movie, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, and The Lion Guard animated series.
‘Lion King II: Simba’s Pride’ Songs and Soundtrack
Several noted composers and writers collaborated on the soundtrack for The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride including Joss Whedon, Marty Panzer, and Tom Snow. Cast members Robert Guillaume, Andy Dick, and Suzanne Pleshette all sang on the soundtrack, with the main theme, Love Will Find a Way, being sung by Liz Callaway and Gene Miller. Along with the soundtrack, Disney also released a standalone CD titled Return to Pride Rock, which featured the main soundtrack as well as new songs including The Lion Sleeps Tonight and I Want to See the Moon.
‘Lion King II: Simba’s Pride’ at the Box Office
The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride was a direct-to-TV release from Disney, although Disney did collaborate with McDonald’s, Mattel and Lever 2000 on the release. During the initial release, the film earned $464.5 million and was re-released in 2004 in a special edition set; it was also included in the 2011 special release, along with the original film and The Lion King 1 ½.
‘Lion King II: Simba’s Pride’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Reviewers liked the sequel, although it wasn’t as popular as the original. It holds a 62% Critical and 60% Audience rating at Rotten Tomatoes; reviewers particularly praised the animation but didn’t like the Kiara’s premise as a strong, independent girl faltered a bit in the film.
Where ‘Lion King II: Simba’s Pride’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
The Lion King franchise is arguably one of the most popular for Disney animation. There have been four feature-length films, including a computer-animated remake which released in 2019, two animated TV series, and several short videos released as well as video games and a popular Broadway musical. The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride was nominated for six awards and won three including an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production, and the first prize at the Vancouver Effects and Animation Festival for Animated Feature Film.
‘Lion King II: Simba’s Pride’ Trailer
You can watch the trailer for The Lion King II: Simba’s pride here.
‘Lion King II: Simba’s Pride’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
Kiara, the protagonist of the film and Simba’s daughter, was originally not supposed to be his eldest child. There were plans to make her the younger sister but that was dropped due to complications in the story. Here are a few more facts about the film you should know:
1. Musical Uses Lion King II Song
The Broadway musical stays true to the original film, but it did draw musical inspiration from Lion King II. The musical uses the song He Lives in You, which is the opening number in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.
2. Was Vitani Originally a Devil?
During the initial writing for the film, the character Vitani was called Shetani, which means ‘Devil’ in Kiswahili. At some point, the name was changed, likely to make the name less offensive. In Kiswahili Vitani means ‘in battle’.
3. Lion King II is a Party of II
While working on The Lion King II, both Neve Campbell (adult Kiara) and Lacey Chabert (Vitani) were also filming the series Party of Five, in which they played sisters.
4. Whedon Nominated for Lion King II Song
Joss Whedon, the well-known producer, writer, and director, was nominated for an Annie Award for his role in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride. Whedon wrote My Lullaby for the film.
5. Hear the Tigers Roar
Throughout the film, as the lions roar viewers are actually hearing tiger roars. That is because actual lion roars aren’t as powerful as tiger roars, so tigers were subbed in during production.
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How to Stream The Lion King 2: Your Family Viewing Guide