User:TravisBernard/African Cats

African Cats is an upcoming nature documentary film directed by Keith Scholey and Alastair Fothergill about several lions and cheetahs trying to survive on the African savanna. The film is the third release by Disneynature, following Oceans, and it is set to arrive in theaters on Earth Day, April 22, 2011. The film is narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and features the song "The World I Knew" by Season Six American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. A portion of the proceeds for the film are being donated to the African Wildlife Foundation and their effort to preserve Kenya's Amboseli Wildlife Corridor. The film's initiative with the African Wildlife Foundation is named "See African Cats, Save the Savanna," and as of April 12, 2011, advance ticket sales have translated into 9,500 acres of land saved in Kenya.

Plot
African Cats, referred to as a "true life adventure," tells the true story of two animal families in the wild by using real-life footage. The film focuses on a young lion cub named Mara being raised by his mother, Layla, a mother cheetah named Sita who is raising five newborns, and Fang, the leader of a pride defending his family from a banished lion. With so many species competing for space and food in the savanna, the animals must figure out the best way to survive.

The 6-month old cub, Mara, aspires to follow his mother Layla's footsteps. Layla suffers a serious injury from a fight with other animals, making it more difficult for her to tend to Mara. As a result of the injury, Mara faces an uncertain future, and her loyalty to her mother is challenged. Another character, Sita the adult cheetah, tries to protect her newborn cubs from the various dangers of the savanna. She regularly has to leave her cubs in order to hunt food, risking the possibility of them being attacked by lions, hyenas, adult male cheetahs, and other large mammals. Separately, Fang, the leader of the pride, has recently broken his tooth in a battle with another animal. A rival group of lions headed by a lion named Kali are trying to dethrone Fang, and Fang must prove that he is still the king.

Life on the savanna is full of challenging conditions and eager competitors, but the animals must all find a way to survive. Although all three of the stories take place on the African savanna, each adventure operates independent of one another.

Production
The families of the animals in African Cats were filmed on the Maasai Mara National Reserve, a major game region in southwestern Kenya. The Maasai Mara is one of the few remaining places in Africa where lions, cheetahs and leopards live in large numbers and in close proximity. To help achieve scientific accuracy, the directors recruited Dr. Sarah Durant of the Zoological Society of London. Durant worked in Tanzania for the last 19 years, studying cheetahs and working toward the conservation of all of Africa’s large carnivores. The film is also narrated by Samuel L. Jackson.

Release
The film is scheduled to be released on April 22, 2011, and as of April 12, 2011, over $1.7 million tickets have been sold in advance of the film's release. As of April 12, 2011, it is estimated that the "See African Cats, Save the Savanna" initiative has saved over 9,500 acres of land in Kenya. The full-length trailer for African Cats was originally released on December 7, 2010.

Music
Season Six American Idol winner Jordin Sparks recorded an original song as the movie's theme song, called "The World I Knew". The video premiered on Disney Channel on April 2, 2011 during The Suite Life Movie and plays at the end credits of the film. The film also features music by composer Nicholas Hooper.