Because Kovu… Obviously
Okay, we gotta get this elephant out of the room first. There’s an entire generation of late ‘90s kids who can attest to crushing a ‘lil on Kovu the lion in their young years. So on that alone, I know people would pay to see Kovu in live-action. Looking back, it’s a bit silly, but let’s think about this… attraction isn’t only presentation. Kovu had a compelling story of redemption that the original Lion King did not explore. In the first movie, Scar is pretty much just evil and dies as a result of it. In Simba’s Pride, Kovu is a descendent of one of Scar’s closest followers, Zira, who is chosen to carry out her plan by getting close to Simba and his daughter, Kiara. Once Kovu gets to know them and falls in love with Kiara, he starts to change the ideology he has been raised on.
