The Lion King's origin is disputed, but one account says Disney executive Charlie Fink pitched a Bambi-in-Africa idea with lions, and Jeffrey Katzenberg initially balked. Writers produced many versions. In 1989 a treatment introduced the name Simba and a story with baboons and a jackal, while early drafts reportedly had a battle between lions and baboons and Simba becoming a lazy, horrible character. Director George Scribner left after clashing with colleagues who wanted a musical, and Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff took over. The script was refocused on Hamlet, Joseph and Moses, and Mufasa became Scar's brother. Hahn and others then shaped the film around the theme of leaving childhood. Its release slipped from Thanksgiving 1993 to summer 1994.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.