Magical Lion King Tidbits and Merchandise from the LA Press Junket!

I’m still bubbling with excitement over getting to see the Lion King at the Los Angeles star studded premiere. While, The Lion King really encompasses all of the nostalgia of the original but also tweaks it for a more modern take. Check out my experience at the Lion King red carpet and press junket event plus some new merchandise!

I discuss some surprising things about the movie here and honestly, one of my favorite parts was Florence Kasumba’s character Shenzi. Shenzi is a newer hyena character who serves as a female villain.

Shenzi’s personality is the complete opposite the silly hyenas, she is dangerous and calculating. During the Lion King press junket Florence Kasumba mentioned that she had a great time getting into character and often stalked around recording studio similar to the way Shenzi stalks her prey in the movie!

Hans Zimmer spoke about the the iconic theme song Circle of Life and said the first notes were an original take. We got the opportunity to see this song in preformed in person and I had CHILLS. It was magical!

Hearing the cast speak about their roles was fun but you know what was just as exciting?

Seeing all the new Lion King merchandise!

New shirts like these from Chaser and Disney Parks exclusive designs make me so happy! How cool is the art on that Hakuna Matata shirt?

And because we are a house that adores reading, I was stoked to spot new books. Coming soon is this gorgeous book, The Art and Making of Disney The Lion King by Michael Goldman. I was able to get a peek of the inside and it takes readers behind the scenes of the making of the movie. The book details how director Jon Favreau and his team used virtual reality to create a hyper realistic movie. The Art and Making of Disney The Lion King was released on July 16, 2019! I can’t wait to get my hands on this and do a full review!

Disney Books is also releasing this fun The Lion King: Wild Schemes and Catastrophes graphic novel, perfect my tween girl who loves books like these.

I also spotted new Alex and Ani items, makeup kits and Pop! funko items that celebrate The Lion King! Scroll to the bottom of the post to check out a quick Instastory video showing lots of new merchandise!