Archive from 09.25.01 to 02.15.2003
 

As Jake says:

Although not much is there yet, a couple things are noteable. First, you can view the trailer for the DVD (as seen on the 101 Dalmatians II DVD), and second, there's a screensaver. Opening the screensaver once downloaded reveals the DVD release date to be as I pradicted: OCTOBER 7TH, 2003. This is official and confirmed!! No specs yet, though; let's hope for 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen versions of both the new Special Edition and original theatrical cut.

Also, if I do say so myself, the character montage on the web site is very beautiful and I would love if it were to be translated to the DVD cover. It's certianly better than the VHS cover, but still not my dream cover.

I'd expect a press release and cover art very, very soon. Beauty and the Beast was announced a bit later last year, but with the website launched and trailers already being slapped in front of Disney DVD releases, I'd expect it a little sooner this time around.
I have to say I disagree about the art-- whoever they contracted to do the Web graphics needs a few more years at CalArts. Scar's missing his scar, for crying-out-loud-- and he looks more like Rafiki than Rafiki does. Yuck.

The spect ratio will be full scree, 1:33 : 1.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000087EY0/qid=1043187451/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-4076554-6658325?v=glance&s=dvd#product-details

Amazon.com shows coverart similar to the Original Soundtrack coverart.

Coverart featuring Simba, Timon and Pumba is at: http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=5548026&cart=135508711&style=movie

Description from CD Universe:

This is a read-along version of the classic Disney movie. Wild Africa is the setting for this tale of a young lion cub whose evil uncle usurps his father's crown and lets hyenas overrun the kingdom. Dodging danger and befriending some oddball characters, the cub wanders until the day he's ready to return. Songs by Elton John and featuring the voices of Whoopie Goldberg, Cheech Marin, James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane and Jeremy Irons. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including 3 for Best Original Song. Academy Awards: 2, including Best Original Score and Best Original Song (Elton John and Tim Rice: "Can You Feel the Love Tonight").

Best Buy mentions that "Lion King: Circle Of Life Sing Along Songs" in DVD format will be out on April 1, 2003 - April Fool's day?

Synopsis from http://www.bestbuy.com/movies/ProductInfo.asp?e=11206686&m=270&cat=&scat=:

Each episode of Disney's Sing Along Songs collects songs and classic scenes from the archives of the Walt Disney studios, offering them in a sequence younger viewers will probably enjoy. Most of the classic Disney characters make appearances in these thematically collected videos. This particular episode collects the songs from The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Aristocats, and many others. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide

"...The Lion King: A Giant Leap offers an exciting look at the technological innovations that allowed the animators to return to their original images and then enhance them for a bigger screen, as well as showcasing the development of the unique and luxuriant artwork behind the film, inspired by the majestic landscapes of the African savannah."

The book is a hardcover book containing 128 pages.

Sounds good to me. Also, some more on the DVD release:
I believe that Disney should release DVD details about the Lion King DVD in the second half of Febuary.

Disney has released their Platinum Edition DVDs during the 2nd Tuesday in October. We could see the Lion King in stores on October 14.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/078685393X/qid=1042464005/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/102-9541223-1032129

I haven't ordered it, so I don't know what it is, but I would assume it's being a making of book, most likely tied to the IMAX release, since it carries the IMAX poster as its cover.

Also: The Beauty and the Beast DVD specs were announced in a press release in late February/early March of last year, so Lion King's info shouldn't be too far off. I'm expecting the first or second Tuesday of October as the release date; let's just hope they keep it the original, un-enhanced theatrical cut at its 1.66:1 original aspect ratio; BATB was presented at 1.85:1 when in fact its OAR is also 1.66:1, and the "original theatrical cut" on that disc is just the SE cut minus Human Again.

And, if Disney decides to reissue Simba's Pride on DVD this fall too - which I have a feeling they will - that announcement shouldn't be too far off either.

Posted by Anonymous:
"The Lion King platinum edition ... will feautue the new animted song sequence ... "The morning report"...

Posted by Alameda:
"It wasn't included for the IMAX release because the segment wasn't finished. ....Disney is hoping to boost the DVD sales with this new adition."
As Simba B says, "We'll have to wait for the 101 Dalmation's 2 DVD to arrive to comfirm these rumors."

Also, for a more reliable (but less detailed) source, though ultimately only a fan rumor, also via Simba B:
'Jicin' from Simba's Kingdom (http://www.simbaskingdom.org/) corrects that "it is already officially confirmed there will indeed be new scene in TLK on DvD. I don't know if it will be the 'Morning Report' though. The only thing that was certain that it would be a 'Broadway' song." 'Tom' adds that "a representative from BVHE Netherlands told me that Lion King would [indeed] get a new sequence with Zazu that was already in the musical."
Yikes. I wonder what this will do to continuity, and the whole "pouncing lesson" thing...

Simba B and Heather Moesel both send this snippet from animated-movies.com:

Producer Don Hahn told the OC Register that "we debated [adding new scenes]. Essentially, we decided to leave it alone. We said, let's just do the restoration." So the colors are sharper and the details more detailed, and the soundtrack has been remixed. Eager to capitalize on the film's success, Disney has also produced a wealth of tie-in products for the film, shooting documentary footage in Africa and an interview with soundtrack composer Elton John for inclusion in a DVD release next fall. "The list [of DVD extras] is a mile long," Hahn said, before confirming that the next Disney animated hit to get the Imax treatment would be Aladdin.

Mind you, clean up work has already been completed on the IMAX version of "Aladdin." And I'm told that Disney's animators are still hard at work on all the repairs that need to be made to "The Little Mermaid" before that 1989 film can look beautiful on large format screens.

But that doesn't guarantee that either of these two films will ever be shown in the IMAX format. A lot depends on how the large format version of "The Lion King" does this holiday season. So - if you want to see Ariel and/or the Genie on the really big screen - make sure you drag all of your friends and family to see "The Lion King" in IMAX.

According to the URL given just below, the release date for TLK in IMAX theaters will be December 25, 2002. This moves the date back one week, for reasons at which we can only guess.

The DVD release for BatB is scheduled for October 2002, and so we can probably assume that Aladdin will reach DVD in October 2003, and TLK in October 2004, following that same pattern.

The IMAX release of BatB will contain a previously animated but never-released song and scene called "Human Again"; it is not known whether TLK will contain any new footage, but word from the animators is that the touch-ups for the IMAX release consist mostly of filling in details that otherwise wouldn't have been visible-- characters who were originally too small to have faces drawn in, for instance.