NatGeo's 'LION' charts a cub's four-year rise in the Maasai Mara

National Geographic India will premiere 'LION', a new wildlife series executive produced by Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton, on August 27 at 7 PM. The show will also be available to stream on JioHotstar, with new episodes airing every Thursday.

The series documents the life of Kio, a lion cub in Kenya's Maasai Mara, over a four-year period. Filmmakers spent nearly 1,400 days across 52 shoots, working with local Kenyan filmmakers to follow the same pride. The production is described as the first natural history project to capture a lion's complete journey from cub to adulthood.

Favreau said the pride continued to surprise the team throughout production. "What Kio endures and eventually becomes is extraordinary," he noted, adding that witnessing the journey against the natural backdrop was incredible.

The original score is led by Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, with contributions from Niccolò Pacella and George Hutson Warren of Bleeding Fingers Music Group. The soundtrack features local singers, traditional instruments, and lion roars, with additional vocals from the Nairobi Chamber Chorus. The theme was co-composed by Lebo M., Andrew Christie, and Zimmer, and includes subtle references to 'The Lion King'.

Alok Jain, Head of Hindi and English Entertainment Business at JioStar, highlighted the series' blend of patience, access, and cinematic filmmaking. He described 'LION' as a powerful story of survival, family, and leadership, told through Kio's transformation from a vulnerable cub into a young lion.

Produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit for National Geographic, the series is executive produced by Favreau and Gunton. Jane Atkins serves as series producer, with Simon Blakeney as co-executive producer.