I'm one of the fans out there that doesn't like the third film very much due to several reasons, but mostly because it flanderizes all over the great moments of the original film and there were missed opportunities for an actual sequel to conclude the entire trilogy. I know that there are fans out there who don't like it as much as the first two films, which is pretty much me. It would've been fine if they left it as only two films, especially since Simba's Pride ends with a title card on the screen just like the original film, but with the words "The End". Despite that, I'm very excited for The Lion Guard and I'm happy that it's going to focus on the lion characters again, as well as Kion's new friends. Plus, it's great that the series is going to continue from where the second film ended off and it's new content for the TLK universe.
This topic is very similar to one I saw several years ago, but it was focused on Simba's Pride and the ways any of its flaws/plotholes could've been fixed.
If The Lion Guard wasn't announced at the time, but the third film still existed, what ideas would you have had for an actual third film instead of the one we got focused on Timon and Pumbaa? What would you have changed about the 3rd film?
Some of my ideas:
- For starters, have the title be The Lion King 3 (if it's a sequel to SP). I don't count Timon and Pumbaa's movie as The Lion King 3. It's called The Lion King for a reason.
- If this was to be taking place before the events of TLK and SP, then I would've made it a prequel about Mufasa and Scar's childhood and how they came into terms of their positions in a monarchial family. I would love to know how Scar received his scar, how did Scar meet the hyenas, how Mufasa's relationship with his own father was like since he told Simba that he learned about the Great Kings of the Past being the stars by his father, how Mufasa met Sarabi, how did Pride Rock come into play as being a very important place for the royal family, how did the monarchial family begin, and etc. All those things would've been so much more interesting to learn about if this was a prequel. Plus, it would've answered one of the biggest questions that the fandom always asks: Who is Nala's father/the mate of Sarafina?
- If it was a sequel, one of the plots could've been about Kiara and Kovu having two cubs, a boy and a girl, and Simba and Nala becoming grandparents to them. Timon and Pumba could've gone missing and the cubs as well as Kiara and Kovu go on a mission to rescue them and return them to the Pridelands. It would've been so cool to see Simba and Nala as grandparents and have the Circle of Life continue even further with Kiara and Kovu's children.
- Another plot could've been about an earthquake or some other natural disaster destroying the Pridelands and the characters go on a mission to find a new home for everyone. The characters facing a natural disaster would've been a different kind of conflict for them to face. The first one was on defeating a tyrant within the pride, the second one was on restoring peace and reuniting a separate group of lions into one whole pride, and the third one could've been something based around mother nature itself. Having to leave a personal landmark that's been the home for previous generations before Simba and Mufasa's time would be a difficult internal conflict to face, especially towards Simba and Nala since they grew up there and one of them was there during Scar's reign. Pride Rock symbolizes family.
- My third idea for a plot could've taken a Legend of Korra type of approach to the story where one of the animals (i.e. a cheetah) wants to gather non-lion animals and challenge the lions for equality and take down the monarchy. Plus, the lions do eat some of the animals that live there like antelopes and it would make sense as to why they might try to take them down and challenge the meaning of the Circle of Life. We only see the lion characters learn this ideology and it's passed onto their children since they must understand how to rule properly when they grow up. The other animals that live within the Pridelands probably know about it or some of them don't understand it as much as the royal family does and they want to challenge their ideology. That would be very interesting.
- On a side note, I would've loved to see Kiara and Kovu receiving training to become the future king and queen from Simba and Nala. We never saw Simba receiving training from Mufasa since Scar killed his father, so I always wanted to see how actual training is like between the parent and child since they become next in line for the throne.
Depending on what kind of plot the third film could've had, I don't exactly know what kind of villain there would be, but hey. Maybe someone else could come up with something.
What are your ideas for a remake if you had the power to crate an actual third TLK film?