"Long live the king": Cats re-enact famous scene from The Lion King

Columbus, Ohio – When two adorable cats decided that it was time to re-enact one of the most iconic scenes from 1994's The Lion King, a new cat meme was born.

This viral TikTok clip turned these cats into legendary movie memes.
This viral TikTok clip turned these cats into legendary movie memes.  © Collage: Screenshots/TikTok/@mariahgarrett_

In a now-viral clip, uploaded to TikTok by Mariah Garrett, two cats can be seen on top of a mattress that has been lent up against a wall. When the orange cat reaches the edge, it turns around and slowly begins to lower itself down. Realizing this was not a good idea, it clings on with all its might.

The second cat is following the events closely – and has no intention of helping. Like a first-rate movie villain, the black cat slaps its struggling opponent's paw, causing it to fall into the abyss (or Mariah's bedroom floor)!

What could look like nothing more than normal cat bickering turned into a brilliant film homage, synced up with the music and voices from the classic scene from The Lion King.

The "Long live the King" cat meme is absolutely legendary

Of course, the scene in question is Mufasa's fight with Scar towards the beginning of the film. While it's unlikely that you haven't seen The Lion King (if not, you should go and see it), it's worth noting that a few spoilers are coming.

The Oscar-winning Disney classic features a fight between the heroic "Lion King" Mufasa, a massive kitty with a magnificent mane, and his evil brother Scar. In the movie, as Mufasa tries to climb back up, Scar throws him to his death.

Just like in the TikTok version seen in the clip we're discussing today, Scar strikes his sibling's paws away, pushing him from the cliff and watching him fall to his death after uttering the legendary line "Long live the King!"

"Scar, brother, help me!" – "Long live the king!"
"Scar, brother, help me!" – "Long live the king!"  © Screenshots/TikTok/@mariahgarrett_

The Lion King "Long live the King" cat meme goes crazy viral

Within three days of its release, the TikTok video had already garnered more than 1.8 million views.

The video has since received over 420,000 likes and almost 5,000 comments, all packed full of laughing emojis and enthusiastic cheers for the two animal actors.

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/TikTok/@mariahgarrett_

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