Nods or references to contemporary pop culture in tlk.

[Elton John]

As in, stuff like Hamlet and the various biblical stories tlk is based on aren't what I am looking for.

1: 'you're so weird' 'you have NO idea' exchange between young simba and scar is a reference to this scene in 'reversal of fortune' starring jeremy irons, actor for scar.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nTFflehHtvI

2: the line 'out of africa' in 'i just can't wait to be king' I believe is a reference to the robert redford/meryl streep film 'out of africa'.

3: most likely intentional, mufasa and sarabi are played by james earl jones and madge sinclair. They also played an african king and queen in the eddie murphey comedy 'coming to america'

4: This is likely intentional (or a very big coincidence) but rowen atkinson, the voice for zazu, in season 3 of the british sitcom blackadder played the role of butler to a prince.

5: speaking of zazu, he sings 'it's a small world' to scar which is a song from a disneyworld ride.

6: Timon singing 'the lion sleeps tonight by 'the tokens'

Any more?

[TheLionPrince]

Pumbaa enters the fight scene between Timon, Zazu, and the hyenas saying "Are you talkin' to me?" This line was popularized from the Martin Scorsese film, Taxi Driver. It escalates with Pumbaa saying "THEY CALL ME MISTER PIG!", which was a reference to another popular line "They call me Mister Tibbs!" from In the Heat of the Night.

Scar tells the hyenas "Stick with me, and you'll never go hungry again!", and the camera pans out. This was the reference to Scarlet O'Hara's soliloquy that "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again" and the camera pans out.

And I believe the movie was referencing Ridley Scott's Alien when Zazu sticks his beak out of Scar's mouth when Mufasa arrives to confront Scar about his absence at Simba's presentation. I posted this reference here.

And you are right about how Rowan Atkinson got the role of Zazu. Storyboard artist Thom Enriquez revealed in an email response that he watched Blackadder, and recommended Atkinson for Zazu.

[Squeely]

"Of course, quid pro quo, you're expected to take certain duties onboard" During this part of "Be Prepared", Scar is cast in a color that is reminiscent of an oldtimey newsreel (I could be wrong but I seem to remember the creators saying as much). The way the hyenas march is a reference to goose-stepping.

Later on in the film, Zazu sings "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts", originally written by Fred Heatherton, but likely a reference to Merv Griffin's US top-ten cover of the song.

[Sigurd]

Zazu sings the song "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen" by Louis Armstrong to Scar

[BrianGriffinFan]

Is the scene where Rafiki fights the hyenas a direct homage to something?

[Squeely]

^Kung fu films, perhaps.

[BrianGriffinFan]

[quote="Squeely"]^Kung fu films, perhaps.[/quote]

But any specific one, is what I meant.

[Captain Cupcake]

Just imitating Bruce Lee.

[Squeely]

Googling yielded nothing other than the Lion King WWW Archive saying it's reference to kung fu films in general; especially, as CC pointed out, those of Bruce Lee. Kinda seems like a spot where something more specific would be referenced, but alas.

[Captain Cupcake]

The specific part is really just him being like Bruce Lee.

https://youtu.be/Se1y2R5QRKU?t=1m54s