Executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton shared details about the upcoming docuseries “LION” at D23

NEED TO KNOW

• National Geographic’s LION follows Kio, a wild lion, from cub to adulthood over four years in Kenya’s Maasai Mara
• The groundbreaking docuseries features a score by Hans Zimmer and captures the drama of a Disney-style coming-of-age story
• LION debuts Aug. 19 on National Geographic and streams Aug. 20 on Disney+ and Hulu

Kio, the lion king, can’t sing and dance like Simba, but he is ready to captivate viewers all the same.

The real-life wild lion is the star of National Geographic’s new four-part docuseries, LION. The show’s executive producers, Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton of BBC Studios Natural History Unit, shared the trailer for and details about the new project at D23, Disney’s massive biannual convention, on Aug. 14.

LION took a remarkable, groundbreaking approach to capturing what it’s like to grow into the king of the jungle by filming Kio in the wild for four consecutive years, starting when the big cat was just a tiny cub in Kenya’s Maasai Mara.

The series marks the first time a natural history production has captured a lion’s journey from cub life to adulthood. LION’s crew, which included local Kenyan filmmakers, spent nearly 1,400 filming days across 52 shoots, marking the most time ever spent in the field following one pride of lions.

And while LION is a docuseries, the show promises the coming-of-age drama and emotion you would expect from one of Disney’s classic films. The moving story arc through LION is assisted by a score led by Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer.

“After tracking the lions in the field for four years, the pride never ceased to surprise us — what Kio endures and eventually becomes is extraordinary. Watching the hero’s journey against the backdrop of nature was incredible to witness,” Favreau said in a statement.

PEOPLE has an exclusive look at LION before the series debuts on National Geographic on Aug. 19. In the clip, Kio, still a young cub, ventures from the safety of his den for one of his first trips into the wild, wide savannah he calls home.

The footage offers a peek into Kio’s surroundings, including zebra and giraffe neighbors who tower over the cub, and smaller animals who keep a watchful eye on the growing big cat.

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Kio takes in his new surroundings confidently, strutting through the grasses near his den while working on his roar, that is, until a bellowing elephant sends him racing closer to Mom. Along with Kio and his mom, viewers meet other members of the cub’s pride, one of the largest in Africa and one Kio is growing to serve.

LION airs Aug. 19 on National Geographic and streams Aug. 20 on Disney+ and Hulu.

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