Jason Weaver Turned down $2M Check for Original 'Lion King' Work but Has Earned More from Royalties

The singer who voiced young Simba in Disney's 1994 original version of "The Lion King" turned down a $2 million check.

In 1994, When Jason Weaver was a teen he was selected to give voice to the young Simba in Disney's new animation movie, "The Lion King."

At that time his mother advised the young boy about his contract with the studio and convinced him to turn down a huge pay-off.

The new version of "The Lion King" is state of the art animation taken to a breathtaking level of realism

THE YOUNG JASON WEAVER'S MOM REFUSED $2 MILLION

Disney offered Jason an incredible $2 million for "The Lion King", but his mom decided that he could do better.

She negotiated a contract with the studio whereby Jason received $100,000 and royalties on the movie. Jason said:

“You gotta remember, they’re coming off of Beauty and the Beast. They’re coming off of Aladdin. Disney had bread.”

A DECISION MADE WITH HER SON'S FUTURE IN MIND

Jason's mother believed that the royalties from "The Lion King" would provide her son with an income for life, and was preferable to a huge one-time payment. She was right.

JASON WEAVER STILL REAPING BENEFITS 25 YEARS LATER

Decades later, Jason is still enjoying the benefits of his mother's canny decision, and with the release of the new version, the interest in the original "Lion King" has been rekindled.

STILL SIMBA AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

At the age of 40, Jason calculates that his stake in the royalties of "The Lion King" have earned him much more than the original $2 million Disney offered him.

And hopefully, the beloved film will continue to be as popular as ever, and earn him even more.

"THE LION KING" REINVENTED FOR A NEW GENERATION

Fans of the original 1994 "The Lion King" were leery of Disney's decision to remake the beloved classic.

"The Lion King" had been released at a particularly propitious moment in African history, the year Nelson Mandela became president, and would go on to become the highest-grossing animated film ever.

The new version of "The Lion King" is state of the art animation taken to a breathtaking level of realism, and of course, those wonderful songs that captured our hearts are still the same. The same sweet story of coming of age is now reaching a new generation.