The Library of Congress had better make room for a stampede, because pretty soon there’s going to be an entire kingdom of animals.
On Wednesday morning, the 1994 animated Disney classic The Lion King was among the 25 films added to the National Film Registry, bringing the number of total films recognized to 700. Under the National Film Preservation Act, movies are only eligible to be preserved under the registry if they are at least a decade old and recognized in the National Film Preservation Board’s view as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The Librarian of Congress makes the calls, but the public can also nominate films for their consideration.
The Lion King was already on the brain as Disney announced this year that director Jon Favreau will tackle the animated favorite as a live-action film. The Registry also added the 1985 John Hughes coming-of-age classic The Breakfast Club. Modern moviegoers will likely recognize a number of additions, including The Princess Bride (1987), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916) and Frank Capra’s Lost Horizon (1937), while some—like Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)—will only ring familiar to the most dedicated film buffs.
Other notable additions include the divisive 1969 cult classic Putney Swope; the 1991 feminist manifesto Thelma & Louise; and Paris Is Burning, a 1990 documentary that explored drag ballroom dance culture through the eyes of New York City’s black and Latino LGBTQ community.
Below is the full list of films newly named to the registry:
The Atomic Cafe (1982)
Ball of Fire (1941)
The Beau Brummels (1928)
The Birds (1963)
Blackboard Jungle (1955)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
East of Eden (1955)
Funny Girl (1968)
Life of an American Fireman (1903)
The Lion King (1994)
Lost Horizon (1937)
Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912)
Paris Is Burning (1990)
Point Blank (1967)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Putney Swope (1969)
Rushmore (1998)
Solomon Sir Jones films (1924-28)
Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
Suzanne, Suzanne (1982)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916)
A Walk in the Sun (1945)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
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