Disney and Balmain’s Journey Through The Lion King’s Cultural Roots

In a recent collaboration, Disney and Balmain worked to produce ‘The Lion King x Balmain’, an ambitious cinematic campaign that combined fashion, film, and culture. The concept, which came from Disney's DE+I division, was a celebration of the 30-year anniversary of the original film’s release, just months before the release of the highly anticipated prequel. The team worked to marry the inventive spirit of Balmain's fashion business with the heritage of the classic movie; however, turning this audacious idea into a reality wasn’t at all simple.

JAM Pictures partnered with director Demi Oladigbolu, and together planned a massive production over Cape Town’s impressive landscapes. With a crew that crossed continents and over 30 models chosen from all over Africa, representation and authenticity were central to the film. The scenes ranging from moody woodlands to sun-drenched dunes have since been showcased everywhere from Times Square to London’s Royal Albert Hall.

In this interview, Mark Dymond of JAM Pictures discusses the film's complex production, creative teamwork, and the outcomes of a shared dedication to artistic integrity. 

LBB> What was the initial vision for ’The Lion King x Balmain’ film, and how did it evolve during production?

Mark> There are a few strands to that question. There was the new ‘Lion King’ prequel that was/is up and coming. The money came from the DE+I division of Disney, and Balmain was seen as the perfect collaborator to go on this journey with. So it was a juggling act between Disney, ‘The Lion King’, and the new fashion collection from Balmain. With such disparate influences, it could easily have been a constant ‘square peg into a round hole’ kind of process, but as the creative grew, and the various talented individuals began to contribute with their visions, the overall vision was really embraced by all. It ended up a very singular vision (mostly), with a vast amount of output to a number of different outfits and channels.

LBB> Can you share any particular challenges or memorable moments from the two-day shoot in Cape Town, especially given the diverse range of locations like dunes, forests, and savannahs

Mark> It seemed like a constant stream of logistic challenges and memorable moments, to be honest. From arriving at the gateway to the dunes and travelling by military vehicles to the unit base on the sand to watching 30 models negotiate the lip of a dune at sunset (all following Olivier Rousteng, who was never too far away from his security detail), to quiet scenes with tears to dancing as the light (and hours) drained from the vast African sky — it was intense. And as we all know, that usually ends up pretty memorable.

LBB> What was it like working with director Femi Oladigbolu, and how did his creative vision influence the final product?

Mark> Femi was a driving force behind bringing that singularity of vision to the fore. When this number of stakeholders are invested, it is vital that someone steps up and brings that vision home, and Femi arrived with a fully formed vision, which everyone fell in love with, and continued to sculpt and finesse that vision as we journeyed through the shoot. His vision was the final product, which is kudos to Disney and Balmain for having trust in him, and of course huge kudos to him as an artist and thoroughly lovely human

LBB> The film features models from across Africa. How did casting these models enhance the cultural authenticity and impact of the film?

Mark> The models were so good at what they did. Under the guidance of Femi, they nailed the style. They found the enigma, and all seemed to respond beautifully to Femi’s direction. The representation of models from across Africa is such an important part of creating the beating, authentic heart of the piece. This extended to every department in the crew, too.

LBB> With such a massive global launch (Royal Albert Hall, Times Square, Tokyo, etc.), how did JAM Pictures ensure the film would resonate with such diverse audiences?

Mark> The film resonates with such universality at its core – from basking in the reflected glow of ‘The Lion King’ to the underlying journey of self-discovery of Olivier and his African roots, that our main aim while distributing the piece was to protect its integrity. We were by Femi’s side during it all and made sure that we had his vision in mind regardless of whether the piece went on a giant billboard or in front of an audience at the Royal Albert Hall.

LBB> How did your team manage the logistics of running three units simultaneously — main, BTS, and stills — while maintaining the high quality expected for a project of this scale?

Mark> Briefing and being pre-emptive were the starting point to that. We have a lot of experience at running many units across many days, and it starts with incredible planning, and ends with talented reactive teams being respectful, and fully understanding the overall process. An incredible 1st AD helps a lot!

LBB> What role did the collaboration with Disney and Balmain play in pushing the boundaries of fashion and film in this project?

Mark> I’m no fashion expert, but I believe this collaboration was incredibly boundary-pushing. The coming together of something so intrinsically engrained in popular culture like ‘The Lion King’. Bringing it together with such a high fashion outfit like Balmain, via Olivier’s discovery of his African roots, feels positively revolutionary, and can only push boundaries on all sides.

LBB> This project featured a multi-platform campaign, with content tailored for everything from social media to Times Square billboards. How did you approach adapting the film for these various formats?

Mark> Adaptation across aspect ratios is a nuanced affair, and can’t always be pre-planned. Femi shot the whole piece open-gate at an aspect ratio that is almost equivalent to 1:1. That doesn’t solve every aspect ratio reframe, but it helps. 

LBB> What was the experience of premiering the film at the Royal Albert Hall like, and how did the live orchestral performance enhance the screening?

Mark> It was an incredibly magical experience for all those involved. It is not that often one gets to celebrate a piece like that — in front of a live audience — and it felt very moving. The presence of the live orchestra was incredible.

LBB> Anything else you’d like to add?

Mark> I think it is great testament to all those who commissioned this piece that they trusted in the vision, because more times than not, it is that vision that shines through in the end, and creates the truth…