Step Inside Disney’s The Lion King Outernet Immersive Experience

Disney’s The Lion King Outernet debuts as an immersive experience honouring the 25th anniversary of The Lion King's West End run, live from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th October. Directed by Hannah Lau-Walker and produced by the BAFTA-winning Nexus Studios, this spectacular installation at the Outernet’s Now Building invites audiences to step inside the artistry, craftsmanship, and dedication that have brought the beloved production to life for over two decades.

Transforming the Outernet’s 360-degree screens into a dynamic visual experience, The Lion King Outernet celebrates the intricate work and the heroes behind the scenes - from costume design and puppetry to set creation. At the heart of the experience is a family tree, inspired by Rafiki’s Baobab tree, with vibrant collages of behind-the-scenes imagery and motion graphics. These collages showcase the skill of the teams on and off stage who tirelessly bring The Lion King to life each night.

Nexus Studios is known for pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. This ambitious project follows their unforgettable Noche UFC project at Sphere Las Vegas last month. Filmmaking at a scale of over 25,000 pixels as needed for The Lion King Outernet required inventive production techniques, including the development of a bespoke Virtual Reality solution to replicate the audience experience throughout production. This technology allowed the team to ensure that every detail was perfectly designed to guide the audience’s attention, whether they are casually passing through or fully immersed in the experience.

"This project was a dream. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with The Lion King and such an incredible crew. The freedom to experiment with different mediums let us create something really special and bring animation to a wider audience. The cherry on top is seeing all of our hard work showcased in the Outernet’s awe-inspiring space." said Hannah Lau-Walker, director, Nexus Studios.

The story of THE LION KING leaps into life using spectacular masks, puppets and costumes to tell the story of Simba's epic adventures, as he struggles with the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king. Julie Taymor’s internationally celebrated stage adaptation of THE LION KING opened on Broadway in 1997 and 25 global productions in nine different languages have been created since then (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese). THE LION KING is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher.

Since the UK premiere in 1999, THE LION KING London has entertained more than 19 million theatregoers and is the fifth longest-running West End musical of all time. The stunning artistry of the production is the work of a team of designers which drew on diverse cultural influences to recreate the rich colours and vast expanses of the African savanna in this daring and inspiring reinvention of one of the most successful animated feature films.

The Lion King Outernet is free to enter and open to the public from 10 AM to midnight on Friday, 18th October and Saturday, 19th October, and from 10 AM to 9 PM on Sunday, 20th October.