Disney Planning 'The Lion King' TV Movie and Spinoff Series 'The Lion Guard'

Disney continues to look for new ways to milk their animated classics for maximum profit, turning to live-action films that have mostly proven to be box office juggernauts whether critics dig them or not. One film they have been exploiting for twenty years is The Lion King, which had a successful 3D re-release just three years ago and has banked nearly $1B into Disney's coffers. And now the Mouse House is looking for more by heading to the small screen for The Lion Guard.

Disney Junior and The Disney Channel are set to release TV animated feature The Lion Guard in November 2015, followed by a series in early 2016.. The hour-long film will center on Kion, the son of Simba and Nala  who protects the jungle in a group known as the Lion Guard. Also making appearances will be familiar faces such as Timon and Pumbaa, Mufasa, Rafiki, Zazu, and Kion's older sister, Kiara. While aDisney exec goes a little nuts and describes it as "The Lion King meets The Avengers", Disney wants this to be authentic and educational by bringing in animal wildlife experts to consult on the series.

We've already seen a couple of straight-to-DVD The Lion King sequels, the popular Broadway show, plus the Timon & Pumbaa animated series that ran from 1995-1999. [WSJ]