DISNEY’S ‘MUFASA: THE LION KING’ WILL EXPLORE MUFASA’S BACKGROUND

Disney recently released the trailer to their upcoming movie “Mufasa: The Lion King” on April 29, 2024.

According to the trailer, the movie is a prequel to the 2019 remake of the Disney classic “The Lion King.” It will be in the same style of photorealistic animation as the remake.

“The Lion King” remake received mixed reviews, with a 52% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite that, the movie grossed over $1 billion dollars the year of its release, according to Variety

Disney announced that “Mufasa” is scheduled as a Christmas release. It will hit theaters on Dec. 20, 2024.

What is ‘Mufasa’ about?

The movie is about the origins of Simba’s father, Mufasa, and his rise to power as the ruler of the Pride Lands.

Disney describes the synopsis as a series of flashbacks detailing Mufasa’s adventures told by the character of Rafiki to Kiara, Simba and Nala’s daughter. It will cut between the past and present.

Not many more plot details are given, other than that Mufasa is joined by a group of misfits who go on a journey together as they “evade a threatening and deadly foe.” As to who this foe may be, no further details have been revealed.

There is no mention of Mufasa’s infamous brother Scar, who is the antagonist of “The Lion King.”

What does the trailer reveal?

In the trailer, Rafiki’s voiceover explains, “This story begins far beyond the mountains and the shadows on the other side of the light.” He goes on to describe how Mufasa was born without any noble blood, but was destined for great things.

The voiceover is intercut with shots of different landscapes, such as an icy mountain and barren deserts, potentially showing the locations of Mufasa’s travels. Hints of Mufasa’s adventures include an attacking alligator and stampeding elephants.

Who stars in ‘Mufasa’?

Voicing the titular character of young Mufasa is Aaron Pierre. Mads Mikkelsen plays a character named Kiros, who Disney describes as “a formidable lion with big plans for his pride.”

This film also involves many of the cast members from “The Lion King” remake, such as John Kani as Rafiki, Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala. Beyoncé's daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, will be joining the cast as the voice of Kiara.

Jon Favreau, director of “The Lion King” remake, is not returning for the prequel. Instead, Barry Jenkins, known for his film “Moonlight,” which won the 2017 Academy Award for best picture, is directing “Mufasa.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda, known for his previous work on Disney films “Encanto” and “Moana,” is creating original music for this film. The music is produced by Miranda and Mark Mancina, with additional music and performances from Lebo M, according to Disney.

2024-05-08T21:29:55Z dg43tfdfdgfd