The Lion King is an artistic work.
Elton John . After decades of commercial chart success , John has also achieved success in musical theatre , both in the West End and on Broadway , composing the music for The Lion King ( film and musical ) , Aida and Billy Elliot the Musical . The National Film Registry ( NFR ) is the United States National Film Preservation Board 's ( NFPB ) selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress . The Lion King is a 1994 American animated epic musical film , produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures . Its original songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice , and original scores were written by Hans Zimmer .