#For starters her name means “Binti” in Swahilli | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kaythefloppa · 4 months

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I was today years old when I found out that Zazu was supposed to have eight babies in The Lion King 2.

Concept artwork of them done by Ritsko Notani and approved by animator Wendell Washer, (both of whom have worked on various other Disney direct-to-video sequels and spin-offs) was sold on Ebay just this weekend (godspeed to whoever is living in LA at the moment).

In early drafts of the sequel dating back to 1996, Zazu was intended to be accompanied by a female hornbill known as Binti, who would have been his mate by the end of the film. Together, they would have had eight hornbill chicks. The executives and writers deemed Binti and Zazu's storyline to be unnecessary and she was cut from the movie. When Binti was phased out, Zazu no longer had any narrative reason to have children, and thus they were cut. Zazu's role in Simba's Pride was diminished greatly as a result of this.

If the link doesn't work, here are some photos ripped directly from the site.

#the lion king #the lion king 2 simba's pride #the lion king 2 #the lion king zazu #zazu #tlk 2 #Allegedly in the 1995 treatments she was supposed to be an oxpecker who worked alongside the rouge elephant and the hyenas #But was apparently phased into a hornbill when Bianca and her hyenas were phased in #She was originally supposed to be voiced by Jane Leeves famous for her role on Fraiser #there was also a rhino character voiced by Thomas Haden Church whom she was going to accompany #But again when the story was redrafted in 1996 to exclude Brutus and his gang and to make Binti a hornbill the rhino character was cut #I personally would've preferred the oxpecker as Zazu's love interest if it came down to it #But really I find it dumb that no one considered the alternative route of making Binti his daughter instead #For starters her name means “Binti” in Swahilli #And secondly the whole theme of the film (especially in the early drafts) is in regards to the relationship between a father and a daughter #They could've worked their way around this instead of giving it the cutting board entirely and sidelining Zazu entirely throughout the film #GAAGH #2024 #disney

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