National Geographic is introducing viewers to the kings and queens of the Maasai Mara in LION, and we have an exclusive look at the smallest member of one of Africa’s most massive and majestic prides. The ambitious series brings to life the extraordinary true story of the Maasai Mara’s lions, including a new hero named Kio. Executive produced by The Lion King director Jon Favreau and BBC Studios Natural History Unit’s Mike Gunton, LION blends cinematic storytelling with world-class natural history filmmaking to deliver a gripping drama blended with documentary truth.
The series also features a score composed by Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers Music. In our exclusive clip, viewers meet Kio as the young cub begins to adjust to life within his mother’s pride. His journey is already precarious, given the odds lion cubs face in their earliest months.
“Life as a cub is dangerous. Half don’t survive their first year, but Kio has a whole family to protect him,” the narrator says.
That family includes several other youngsters, including Kio’s older brothers, who are eager to meet the newest member of the pride. Unfortunately for little Kio, his relatives have quite a bit more size and strength on their side, and he’s not prepared for their roughhousing.
“They’re all a lot bigger than he is and play a lot rougher than he’s used to,” the narrator explains.
The pint-sized cub decides that getting in on the action might have to wait, and we see him move away from his siblings to somewhere safer. Instead, Kio finds comfort alongside his mother, Summer, and her sisters, Winter and Autumn, the queens and leaders of the sprawling pride. And while Kio might be sticking close to his mother for now, the cub could eventually have some very big paws to fill.
“Their ancestors have ruled these lands for over a million years,” the narrator says of the massive Maasai Mara pride. “This is the legacy Kio could one day inherit.”
Throughout the clip, if the music sounds familiar, it’s because it’s a The Lion King Easter egg. As we see little Kio meet his pride, we hear “Reflections of Mufasa” in the background. Take an exclusive look at Kio and his pride below.
