1994: The Lion King. It is the 32nd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. The story takes place in a kingdom of lions in Africa, and was influenced by the biblical tales of Joseph and Moses and William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet. The film was produced during a period known as the Disney Renaissance. Its songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with an original score by Hans Zimmer. The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Robert Guillaume, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cheech Marin.