Comic defeats Disney in $27m fight over viral Lion King joke

Here’s a sentence I didn’t expect to type this year: a $27 million defamation showdown over a joke about The Lion King’s opening chant is over, and the comedian walked away clean.

The $27 million roar that fizzled

South African composer Lebohang Morake — better known as Lebo M — sued comedian Learnmore Jonasi back in March over a bit that started on a podcast and then did numbers online. The joke? Jonasi translated the famous opener to Circle of Life — the 'Nants' ingonyama bagithi Baba' line — as something like:

'Look, there’s a lion. Oh, my God.'

Lebo M, who worked on Disney ’s The Lion King and its follow-ups, has his own, more reverent read on the lyric (think praising the arrival of a king) and argued Jonasi presented his version as a real translation, not a gag, which he said harmed his legacy and his ongoing relationship with Disney — including his contributions to Mufasa: The Lion King.

This week, a federal judge in Los Angeles made it official: the case is dismissed. Judge Josephine Staton confirmed both sides agreed to a voluntary dismissal, which ends the fight and opens the door for Jonasi to try to recover attorneys fees under California’s anti-SLAPP statute. Quick explainer: anti-SLAPP is meant to discourage lawsuits that try to chill free speech, especially around commentary and criticism — which is exactly the lane comedy lives in.

How it got messy, fast

• March filing: Lebo M sues Jonasi in federal court for $27 million, claiming the joke was framed as fact and damaged his reputation and Disney ties.
• Going viral: Jonasi’s bit spreads online after a podcast clip; he’s even served legal papers mid-set at The Laugh Factory (which he filmed).
• Survival mode: Jonasi launches a GoFundMe to handle legal bills and leans into the moment with T-shirts that read: 'Look, it’s a Lawsuit. Oh, my God.'
• The ending: Judge Staton signs off on a voluntary dismissal, and Jonasi can now pursue fees via California’s anti-SLAPP process.

Yes, that’s a lot of drama over a punchline, but it also turned into a case study in where the legal line is for comics — and how quickly a joke can morph into a headache when it intersects with a billion-dollar franchise.

Meanwhile, back in the Pride Lands

While Jonasi celebrates, Disney is (reportedly) not done with the savanna. Early 2025 chatter says another live-action Lion King project is quietly moving, though nothing is official yet. Industry watcher Daniel RPK has floated that the studio is looking beyond Mufasa: The Lion King, with speculation pointing toward a take on The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.

The math checks out. The 2019 Lion King remake cruised past the billion-dollar mark worldwide, and Mufasa performed strongly in theaters too. Plus, Mufasa already introduced Kiara — voiced by Blue Ivy Carter — which tees up Simba’s Pride if Disney wants to grow her arc on the big screen. There were earlier whispers about a sequel under Barry Jenkins, but that reportedly shifted once Mufasa became the priority. As of now: no title, no director, no date — just a lot of tea leaves and some very enthusiastic fan trailers.

Bottom line: Jonasi’s Lion King saga is wrapped, and he may even recoup some costs. On Disney’s side, the circle of life (and sequels ) looks like it’s still spinning.