Disney is having a lot of success with its live-action remakes, and the prequels are next on the list! The official announcement of a prequel to “The Lion King” was made public for the first time during the 2022 D23 Expo at the Disney and Pixar panel. Disney officially named the film Mufasa: The Lion King and provided a release window. He lives! In 2021, Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. were revealed as the main actors in the prequel, playing Mufasa and Taka, respectively. The Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, who is succeeding Jon Favreau as director of The Lion King, said that the film would have its world debut in theatres in 2024 at a Disney and Pixar discussion.
Not much is known about the story, other than it will centre on the relationship between the two brothers and Mufasa’s ascension to power. Attendees at the expo were treated to a quick teaser that told the narrative of Mufasa and Taka (later known as Scar) from the perspective of the three lovable classic characters, Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki. It has not yet been officially announced whether or not this implies that Billy Eichner, Seth Rogan, and John Kani will reprise their roles.
Simba hopes to pass on his father’s heritage to his own cub by learning more about Mufasa’s life during his reign as king. Jenkins explained what it means and takes to be a king in an interview with Variety. “The stories and characters have deep personal significance for me since I grew up with them. The writer, Jeff Nathanson, has done a lot of work and is putting a lot of effort back into this, and I think it will assist kids and anyone who has enjoyed this product in the past to appreciate it more. It’s not enough to be born a king; it’s not enough to be made one, either. Their journey to self-discovery includes experiences that many people may identify with. So, from that perspective, it’s consistent with the rest of my work. As a result, I am not under any stress and only want to perform a good job.”
Mufasa: The Lion King’s screenplay is written by Jeff Nathanson, who also wrote the writing for Disney’s 2019 CGI remake of The Lion King. Jenkins’s directorial work includes the Oscar-winning feature Moonlight and the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime Video series The Underground Railroad. Mark Ceryak (The Underground Railroad), Adele Romanski (Moonlight), and Peter M. Tobyansen (Mufasa) serve as producers (Avatar: The Way of Water). The release date for Mufasa: The Lion King is set for 2024.