What was the original working title of The Lion King?

The original working title of The Lion King was “King of the Jungle.”

Disney’s early development process involved several different treatments and titles. An initial 1988 treatment by Thomas Disch was called “King of the Kalahari,” while later screenplay drafts used “King of the Beasts” and “King of the Jungle.” The last of these became the best-known early working title.

The title was eventually changed because lions do not live in jungles: the film’s setting is the African savanna, represented by the Pride Lands. The simpler title “The Lion King” also placed the story’s central idea—Simba’s rise to kingship—at the forefront.

A common mix-up is treating “King of the Kalahari” as the sole original title. It was an earlier treatment title, whereas “King of the Jungle” was the working title most commonly associated with the film during script development. The movie was released under its final title in 1994.