The Lion King - Reo Māori Version

Almost three decades after Disney's The Lion King was first released in 1994, the animated classic hit the cinemas again for the first time in te reo Māori. Heir to his father's throne, young lion Simba embarks on a quest to find his rightful place as king of the Pride Lands. Featuring five different te reo Māori dialects from around Aotearoa, it was the second Disney film to be translated into te reo Māori, following Moana in 2017. Produced by filmmakers Chelsea Winstanley and Tweedie Waititi of Matewa Media, the film stars Piripi Taylor as Mufasa, Mataara Stokes as Simba, and Arihia Cassidy as Nala.

Standing out for its homegrown cast of 14 voice actors, its use of various mita to represent the royal pride of lions and the joking hyenas, and the inclusion of “little haka parts” that weren’t part of the original, the reo Māori version is the first-ever adaptation to have [Elton] John’s closing song translated in another language and performed by another artist.

– Spinoff writer Reweti Kohere on what makes the te reo translation of The Lion King different, 23 June 2022

Key Cast & Crew

Piripi Taylor

As: Voice of Mufasa

Rob Ruha

Musical Director - Te Reo Version

Rachel House

Dubbing Director - Te Reo Version

Tweedie Waititi

Dubbing Director - Te Reo version, As: Voice of Sarafina, Producer

Chelsea Winstanley

Producer - Te Reo version

Mataara Stokes

As: Voice of Simba