Mufasa: The Lion King

Mufasa: The Lion King is an upcoming American musical drama film directed by Barry Jenkins, written by Jeff Nathanson, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pastel Productions. The film is photorealistic animated and both a prequel and sequel to the 2019 adaptation of the 1994 film The Lion King. Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, John Kani and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reprise their roles from the remake. New cast members include Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, and Knowles-Carter's daughter Blue Ivy Carter in her feature film debut.

Development on a prequel to The Lion King was confirmed in September 2020, with Jenkins attached to direct and Nathanson finishing a draft of the script. Pierre and Harrison Jr. were announced as the voice cast in August 2021, followed by further casting between September 2022 and April 2024. The film was officially announced when its official title was revealed in September 2022 at the 2022 D23 Expo announcement. Production on the film slowed down in July 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 20, 2024, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Premise
The prequel is about the rise of one of the greatest kings of the Pride Lands, going back to the African savannah, where Rafiki tells Kiara—daughter of Simba and Nala—the story of her grandfather Mufasa while Timon and Pumbaa add color commentary.

Voice cast

 * Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, a lion, a young prince who would grow up to become the future king of the Pride Lands and the father of Simba.
 * Braelyn Rankins as young Mufasa
 * Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, a lion, a young prince and adoptive brother of Mufasa and the son of Eshe and Obasi who would later be known as Scar.
 * Theo Somolu as young Taka
 * Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, A slow-witted warthog who befriended Simba when he was a cub.
 * Billy Eichner as Timon, A wise-cracking meerkat who befriended Simba when he was a cub.
 * John Kani as Rafiki, A wise mandrill who serves as the shaman of the Pride Lands, and a close friend of Mufasa's, who telling his story with Kiara, Timon and Pumbaa.
 * Kagiso Lediga as young Rafiki
 * Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, a lioness who befriended Mufasa, Taka and Rafiki, and would grow up to become the future queen of the Pride Lands and the mother of Simba.
 * Preston Nyman as Zazu, A young hornbill who is the future majordomo to the King of the Pride Lands
 * Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, a formidable lion with big plans for his pride
 * Donald Glover as Simba, a lion who is the current king of Pride Rock and Mufasa's son
 * Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, a lioness who is Simba's mate and the queen of the Pride Lands and Mufasa and Sarabi's daughter-in-law
 * Thandiwe Newton as Eshe, a lioness, who is Taka's mother, Mufasa's adoptive mother and Obasi's mate.
 * Lennie James as Obasi, a lion, who is Taka's father, Mufasa's adoptive father, Eshe's mate and the leader of his pride.
 * Keith David as Masego, a lion, who is Mufasa's biological father
 * Anika Noni Rose as Afia, a lioness, who is Mufasa's biological mother
 * Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, a young lion cub who is Simba and Nala's daughter and Mufasa and Sarabi's granddaughter and the princess of the Pride Lands.

Additionally, Joanna Jones, Folake Olowofoyeku, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, and Dominique Jennings have been cast in undisclosed roles.

Development
In September 2020, it was announced that a follow-up film to the live-action-styled CGI photorealistic 2019 remake of The Lion King (1994) was in development, with Barry Jenkins attached to direct. Reports indicated that the project would have a story centered on Mufasa during his formative years, with additional scenes focusing on the events after the first film; comparing the movie to a similar structure as The Godfather Part II (1974). By this point, Jeff Nathanson, the previous installment's screenwriter, had completed a draft of the script. The film was officially announced, with the title of Mufasa: The Lion King at the 2022 D23 Expo.

On December 13, 2023, the Hollywood Handle reported that the film's plot would involve Rafiki telling the story of Mufasa to his granddaughter, Kiara, marking the character's first on-screen appearance in an animated feature film since The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), the direct-to-video sequel to the original animated film. In regards on how much his film would adapt from Simba's Pride, Jenkins admitted that "some stuff" from the canon is very much alluded and referenced, but it isn't an adaptation per se.

Casting
In August 2021, Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. were cast as the voices of young Mufasa and Scar, respectively. During an interview with Fandango in April 2023 about his film Chevalier (2022), Harrison Jr. confirmed that the film would explore Scar's backstory, portraying him in a "hilarious and very, very spicy" way and expressing interest in how the young and sweet Scar's relationship with his brother Mufasa evolves throughout the film. By September 2022, it was revealed that Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani would reprise their roles as Pumbaa, Timon, and Rafiki, respectively.

In April 2024, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Donald Glover were confirmed to reprise their roles, with Blue Ivy Carter (in her feature film debut), Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, and Dominique Jennings announced as new additions to the cast. Jenkins considered to cast Blue Ivy as Kiara since he heard the audiobook version she did for his friend Matthew A. Cherry's Hair Love (2019) short film, but had reservations on whether she and her mother would want to act opposite each other, fearing it may hit "too close to home", but both Blue Ivy and Beyoncé were enthusiastic when he proposed them the idea. Coupled with Beyonce's Renaissance tour, during which Blue Ivy participated as a dancer in a performance of one of The Lion King: The Gift album's songs, Jenkins felt there was some sort of synergy between mother and daughter with the film showcasing some type of "time capsule".

Visual effects
In September 2022, at D23, the first footage was played exclusively to attendees, thus revealing that production had been underway. Moving Picture Company is returning to provide the visual effects. In July 2023, production on the film slowed down due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

Music
In June 2022, Nicholas Britell was hired to serve as composer for the score on the film's soundtrack, after having previously collaborated with Jenkins on various projects. In September 2022, it was announced that Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams would return for the film, and in April 2024, it was announced that Lin-Manuel Miranda would write the songs for the film. Jenkins approached Miranda to work on the film due to keeping in touch since Jenkins almost cast Miranda in his film If Beale Street Could Talk (2018). Mark Mancina would also co-produce the songs with Miranda, with Lebo M providing additional vocals and performances.

Marketing
During the D23, an exclusive preview for the film was shown to those who attended, which revealed that Mufasa was an orphaned cub. The preview also revealed that Rafiki and Timon will tell stories about Mufasa's past and his way to becoming king. Barry Jenkins also appeared during The Walt Disney Studios' presentation of their 2024 theatrical slate at CinemaCon on April 11, 2024, to promote the film, where he remarked: "You are probably wondering... what is the director of Moonlight (2016) doing talking to me about an eight-quadrant tentpole legacy IP massive film? And I gotta say, the thought was very strange to me at first, as well. But oh my god. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life, and I'm so glad I made this picture."

The first teaser trailer and the official teaser poster debuted on April 29, 2024, on ABC's Good Morning America. The trailer's music track was bookended by a new instrumental rendition of "Circle of Life," confirming that some musical material by Elton John and Tim Rice from the previous film would be featured in the film in some way. The trailer received a mixed reception, with some deeming the film as "unnecessary" and a "soulless prequel to a soulless remake". Jenkins responded on Twitter writing, "There is nothing soulless about The Lion King ... For decades children have sat in theaters all over the world experiencing collective grief for the first time, engaging Shakespeare for the first time, across aisles in myriad languages. A most potent vessel for communal empathy."

Release
Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled to be released on December 20, 2024. It was previously scheduled for release on July 5, 2024, but was delayed to its current date due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.