Disney Reo Māori suggests 'having a kaputī' to get The Lion King Reo Māori into rural cinemas

Reo Māori version of The Lion King. Image / Supplied

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Producers of the reo Māori version of the Disney smash hit The Lion King (Te Kīngi Raiona) are encouraging cinema owners in small towns across Aotearoa to request the Māori version when it's released in June so it can reach more Māori in rural areas.

Tweedie Waititi of Matewā Media, who has worked on a number of Disney collaborations, says if you don't ask, you don't get.

"Disney NZ have their usual cinemas they hit for releases and sometimes distributors miss the small cinemas or areas. If the whānau put pressure on their local cinema it won't be too hard to get the film on their screens," Waititi posted on social media.

"Call them, email them, call in and have a kaputī.

"It's very much a 'power of the people' game now. It's not every day we get a reo Māori Disney feature film."

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Last week, Reo Māori Disney posted on social media about State Theatre Motueka not showing Disney Reo Māori Moana when it was released in 2017.

But because of the hapori (community) requesting it, they are hoping to screen this when it's released this month.

State Cinemas Motueka manager Mark Wentworth confirmed there had been a request to screen The Lion King Reo Māori from the local marae.

"We're getting The Lion King for a special screening for the 24th of June. I've emailed the film companies and put the request in," Wentworth says.

"If we don't get offered the film, we've got to have some interest from the public to say, 'well can we please have it in te reo Māori' and sure, we'll do it."

The Lion King is one of Disney's most successful releases. To date, the original release in 1994 has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. It held the record for the highest-grossing animated feature film for nearly 20 years. A remake in 2019 grossed more than $1.6 billion worldwide and featured Beyonce Knowles, who voiced the role of Nala. Disney also produced a musical stage adaptation and the musical became one of the most successful in Broadway history, being the highest grossing production in history.

Disney has a history of language re-releases. The Lion King has been translated into 28 languages worldwide, including Zulu for African audiences, making it the only film in an African language.

Matewā Media produced Moana Reo Māori in 2017 and are now working to produce Frozen Reo Māori.