The Lion King had a strong ending to 2011. After a 3D re-release rocked theaters, it progressed on to Blu-Ray, where there was also a pricy Blu-Ray bundle that featured all three of the films in the trilogy together. Now, Walt Disney Pictures has announced that you won’t have to buy the bundle if you want, as The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride and The Lion King 1 & 1/2 are coming in their own solo versions early next year.
The two sequels will be released on Blu-Ray on March 6th, 2012. With this new release, most of the special edition DVD features will also see its way on Blu-Ray. From the press release, the features are listed as:
The Lion King 1½-
Timon & Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari animated feature
Deleted scenes hosted by director Bradley Raymond and producer George Mendoza:
- Opening Concept #1
- Opening Concept #2
- “Old Fearless Buzz”
- “Timon, Dad, & Mom”
- Intro to “Scurry, Flinch, Sniff”
- “Timon & Pumbaa look for Oasis”
Two behind-the-scenes featurettes:- Timon: Behind the Legend
- Before the Beginning: The Making of Lion King 1½
“Grazing in the Grass” music video by Raven
The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride-
Timon & Pumbaa’s Insectapedia animated feature
One By One animated short
Timon & Pumbaa: Find Out Why animated short series
Proud of Simba’s Pride behind-the-scenes featurette
“Love Will Find a Way” music video by Kenny Lattimore and Heather Headley
Finally, here are the cover art images for both individual releases (click on each to enlarge):
Both have an estimated street price of only $19.99-$24.99, which is considerably cheaper than when you buy the trilogy pack, which is going for $114.99 at Best Buy.
Will you be buying the solo releases, if you haven’t bought the trilogy, when they’re released? Let us know in the comments below!
