The pride grew to nearly 100 lions, many of whom lounged around the house, swimming in a pool with young Melanie. Hedren and Marshall hired none other than Jan de Bont, the cinematographer who went on to direct Speed and Twister, to shoot Roar on their makeshift nature reserve. The human cast expanded to a number of animal trainers who could navigate the big-cat extras, but the production was never safe by Hollywood standards. “Then you realize he was either bluffing or playing, and you find yourself almost dying of laughter.” “The first time a lion charges you, you think you are about to die,” Marshall wrote in the original 1981 press notes for the film. On top of the injuries (de Bont ended up with 100 stitches before the end of filming), the film encountered everything from floods to feline illnesses and a general collapse of the budget.

Marshall was reportedly mauled so many types over the course of the film (with at least one moment appearing in the movie) that he was eventually hospitalized with gangrene.

The family finished Roar and released it independently overseas, but saw virtually no return on their investment. The film is pure ’70s shtick, with a folksy soundtrack backing lion encounters that, uh, definitely do not look like stunts. But unlike Tiger King, the film and characters exude a clear love of these animals. The movie has the spin of a Disney blockbuster.įictional versions of Hedren and Marshall stand up for the cats, even as they fight for their own lives.

The lion king 2 full movie disney