A New Documentary Shows What Growing up Lion Is Really Like
The four-part series follows Kio’s survival as his mother Summer helps him navigate predators, loss and adulthood, with 1,400 filming days captured.
- National Geographic's four-part docuseries 'Lion' premieres Thursday, August 20, 2026, on National Geographic and Disney+, following a lion cub named Kio as he develops into an adult male in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve.
- Executive producer Mike Gunton and director Jon Favreau led crews through 1,400 filming days across 52 shoots to document Kio's four-year journey from vulnerable cub to adult male.
- Advanced low-light sensors and quiet drones allowed crews to film 30 minutes earlier and later each day, capturing lions during critical windows when they are most active and interesting.
- Kio's survival is a testament to his mother, Summer, who protected him through four years of dangers including buffalo, hyenas, and fire while filmmakers preserved authenticity using only narrative tools like music and editing.
- Since 1994, global lion populations have decreased by over 50%, underscoring why the 'Protect the Pride' fund supports conservationists stabilizing wild populations amid declining prey and increasing human pressure.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Jon Favreau Explains How Real-Life Lions Mirrored The Lion King and Why the Unpredictable Docuseries Shoot Might Influence His Next Project
Jon Favreau has an idea of what he might like to do next. The director/actor/writer/producer — perhaps best known for directing the first two Iron Man movies, creating The Mandalorian, and portraying Happy Hogan across the MCU — just launched the Nat Geo docuseries Lion, which he executive produced along with the BBC’s Mike Gunton, and says that his next project might be as far away from the African savanna as possible. I spoke with Favreau and …
Washington, 20 Aug (EFE).- Jon Favreau, the director of the real action version of ‘The Lion King’, returned to the African savannah to tell the real story of the puppy Kio and his herd in a National Geographic documentary series that arrives this week on screens after four years of filming. ‘León’, the first audiovisual project that documents the complete passage from a lion’s calf to adulthood, features the executive production of Favreau and …
In the Masai Mara, the National Geographic teams followed in the footsteps of Kio, a young lion and future king. ...
Interview: "Lion" Series Producer Jane Atkins on Filming the Real Circle of Life
Since 1994, when Disney’s The Lion King premiered, the worldwide population of lions has decreased by over 50%. With National Geographic joining Disney in 2019, the yellow border leans into the animated film’s popularity with the four-part nature series Lion. Ahead of the show’s launch, I got to speak with...
New Nat Geo groundbreaking documentary 'Lion' follows pride of lions in Kenya for 4 years
A new four-part nature documentary series tells a true story of family, courage and coming-of-age. It focuses on a lion cub who may become a lion king. "Lion" takes viewers on a journey involving that little cub and his family.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 80% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
