This Unfilmed Scene In The Lion King Was Too Inappropriate For Children
Many fans of "The Lion King" are by now aware that the film is a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." However, an element that's missing from the Disney version of the tale is how Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, eventually marries his mother. It turns out that the original version of the film included a twist on this, with Scar (Jeremy Irons) attempting to woo Simba's (Matthew Broderick/Jonathan Taylor Thomas) love interest, Nala (Moira Kelly/Nikita Calame).
The voice-acted storyboards for the scene, as well as the original version of the Scar song, "Be Prepared," can be seen on YouTube. In the scene, which was cut from the final film, Scar opines to Zazu (Rowan Atkinson) that he needs a queen, just as Nala happens to walk into his cave. What ensues is Scar's attempt to woo Nala, a development that feels inappropriate and perhaps even a bit disturbing — especially with Scar spouting lines like "You know you really have no choice one way or another. I always get what I want."
Fans were mixed about the missing song on the r/movies subreddit. "I prefer this version of Be Prepared, but it's probably too dark for kids," wrote u/windy, while u/ziddersroofurry was more direct, writing, "No thanks. The death of Mufasa was dark enough. It didn't need a side of rapeyness to go with it." Meanwhile, u/Tebeku was sorry to see the number go: "That was so stupid; it was a cool scene and a good song," they wrote.
The cut scene explains why Nala left Pride Rock
As fans will recall, Simba flees the Pride Lands following the death of his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones), at Scar's hands ... err, paws. However, years later, when they are both grown, Nala seeks out Simba and enlists him to overthrow Scar's tyrannical rule. Though the film marks this as something of a chance encounter, the deleted scene helps to explain how this development might have come to be.
After all, had the scene been left in, viewers might deduce that Nala was deliberately seeking someone to challenge Scar after being disgusted by his advances. It also helps to explain why she may have fled Pride Rock in "The Lion King," allowing her to forage for food in a safer, more distant environment far away from Scar.
While the scene and the original version of Scar's song were cut from the animated picture, they appear in the stage musical version, where a different song by Scar, titled "The Madness of King Scar," includes this development. Though it may not be as catchy as "Be Prepared" or the other songs included in the original film, the scene and the song do offer a further window into Scar's evil heart in "The Lion King."