00:00I already wanted to be king!
00:03Well, originally this song was supposed to be much longer.
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00:09Originally, the song was several minutes longer.
00:12and Disney eventually removed several verses.
00:15This song is one of the most dynamic moments in The Lion King.
00:18But during development, it became much more ambitious.
00:21The early storyboards show more gags between Simba, Nala, and Zazu.
00:25Some of the choreographies that involved animals are much longer
00:28and several transitions are different.
00:30The presenters even imagined additional acrobatics
00:33with giraffes, rhinoceroses and elephants.
00:36And they deleted everything.
00:37The directors realize that this sequence is just coming
00:40before the dramatic turning point in the film, the death of Mufasa.
00:43If the song is too long, the emotional contrast works less well.
00:47They therefore decided to shorten it to speed up the story
00:50and prepare the viewer for the approaching tragedy.
00:53Well, this decision actually enhances the film's effectiveness.
00:56Simba's carefree joy is interrupted almost abruptly.
01:00And that's what makes the following events even more significant.
01:03Who didn't cry when Mufasa died?