Jason Weaver, the voice behind Simba in “The Lion King,” followed his mother’s advice and turned down a $2 million offer from Disney.
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Singer and actor Jason Weaver, who voiced young Simba in “The Lion King,” was offered a flat fee of $2 million by Disney in 1994 when the film was released. However, he declined the offer after taking his mother’s advice.
Weaver, known for his voice work on hits like “Hakuna Matata” and “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” negotiated a royalty deal that eventually resulted in a sum greater than the original offer.
In a 2019 interview with Vlad TV, Weaver shared that the offer seemed very attractive to him as a teenager at the time, but his mother thought differently and wisely considered the revenue Disney could generate over the years.
“She was able to see the big picture and say, ‘Wait a minute, this is going to generate a lot of money over time. So, what happens when my son turns 40? Will he still be able to get a check from this when they eventually re-release the movie?’” Weaver said.
Weaver’s mother was completely right. Although the singer received $100,000 upfront for his role, Weaver ended up earning much more over the years from royalties than the original Disney offer.
Since the film’s release, Weaver has received a share of the profits from everything that came afterward, including video sales and products related to the character. The Broadway show and the 2019 remake also ensure that the original “Lion King” continues to generate revenue, meaning more checks for the actor.
This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
