All spoilers for The Lion King (2019) will remain unmarked. You Have Been Warned!
Mufasa: The Lion King is an upcoming photorealistic computer animated film that functions as a sequel and prequel to the 2019 remake of The Lion King. It is the first theatrically released sequel of The Lion King franchise but is not an adaptation of the 1998 Direct to Video sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. It is directed by Barry Jenkins and written by remake writer Jeff Nathanson. While Nicholas Britell takes over as composer, Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, Mark Mancina, and Lebo M. return from the remake to assist with the film’s soundtrack as well, and Lin-Manuel Miranda takes over songwriting duties.
The film serves as an Origins Episode for the eponymous Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre), the King of the Pridelands and father of King Simba, and how he went from an orphaned cub to the paragon of good he is known as. The story is narrated by Rafiki, the wise mandrill shaman, to Mufasa’s granddaughter Kiara in the present.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. also stars as Taka, the young lion who will later be known as Scar. Donald Glover, Beyoncé, John Kani, Billy Eichner, and Seth Rogen reprise their roles as Simba, Nala, Rafiki, Timon, and Pumbaa from the 2019 remake. Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Lennie James, and Keith David play new characters, those being Kiros, Eshe, Afia, Obasi and Masego, and Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter will play Kiara.
The film will be released on December 20, 2024.
Previews: Teaser
Mufasa: The Lion King contains examples of the following:
- Art Evolution: The teaser trailer shows that compared to the 2019 remake, the animals have much more expressive faces and body language. The color palette has also become much more vibrant.
- And Starring: The trailer’s cast list has Beyoncé retain her "with" credit from the 2019 remake, and also has an "introducing" credit for her daughter Blue Ivy Carter.
- Animal Stampede: The trailer shows Mufasa as a subadult enduring a destructive stampede of elephants.
- Call-Forward:
- The trailer has Rafiki say the story starts beyond the "shadows" and the "light", recalling Mufasa’s famous monologue about the Lion King being responsible for "everything the light touches" and the "shadows" being beyond their borders.
- In the 2019 remake, Rafiki refers to his bakorra staff (which he only wields in the climax) as "old friend", implying he used it more in his youth. Sure enough, the trailer shows his younger self regularly wielding it.
- Many fireflies are shown circling a tree that Rafiki and at least two other mandrills are in during the trailer, and one is in his hand before flying up. In the 2019 remake, fireflies had some sort of mystical property that alerted Rafiki to the bugs on his tree helping form the portrait of Simba.
- The trailer shows Mufasa contending with a dangerous stampede of elephants by a canyon wall. In the 2019 remake, the wildebeest stampede engineered by Scar in the gorge will claim his life. Zazu is also shown flying about the chaos as he later will when he tries to scout for Simba ahead of Mufasa. The very first shot of young Mufasa in the trailer even shows a large gorge in the background to allude to his eventual fate.
- The trailer shows Mufasa looking up to the stars in a shot-for-shot recreation of the shot of Simba doing the same in the 2019 remake shortly before his tuft of mane began its journey to Rafiki’s tree.
- David vs. Goliath: The trailer shows a sequence where Timon actually attacks Scar head-on during the Final Battle of the 2019 remake.
- Heinous Hyena: A pair of hyenas are seen harassing some zebras early in the trailer.
- Never Smile at a Crocodile: The trailer shows Mufasa having to evade crocodiles in a river.
- Sequel Goes Foreign: The trailer has Rafiki explain that the film’s story starts well beyond the Pride Lands. Lions are even seen in an icy mountain range.
- Slippy-Slidey Ice World: The trailer prominently shows Mufasa, Rafiki, and other lions in a snowy mountain range.
- Star Gazing Scene: The trailer shows Mufasa looking up into the starry night. If one looks closely, the eyes of a lion are visible in the sky, showing that a Great King of the Past is watching Mufasa.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: The trailer has Rafiki reveal that Mufasa was not actually born into the Pridelands' royal family and was an orphaned cub who somehow found his way there, when all other media in the franchise has never said otherwise.
