Animated Films Dominate the Box Office, So Why Aren’t Their Directors Allowed Into the DGA?

When Disney released its new version of “The Lion King” in 2019, the company was quick to describe it as the live-action version of the beloved 1994 original.  

Director Jon Favreau, who made a Christmas classic in “Elf” and jumpstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Iron Man,” was covered by the Directors Guild of America, which afforded him insurance and incentives, along with profit participation. One reported estimate had the director earning $60 million from his involvement in the film, which grossed $1.66 billion worldwide.

But this version of “The Lion King” wasn’t live-action — it was fully animated. And directors of animated films are not traditionally covered by the DGA, hence the push to categorize this feature as “live-action.”