| Mufasa: The Lion King | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Barry Jenkins |
| Screenplay by | Jeff Nathanson |
| Based on | |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | James Laxton |
| Edited by | Joi McMillon |
| Music by |
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Production company | |
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 118 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $200 million[2][3][4] |
| Box office | $723 million[5][4] |
Mufasa: The Lion King is a 2024 Americanmusicaldrama film produced byWalt Disney Pictures. Thephotorealistically animated film serves as both aprequel andsequel toThe Lion King (2019), which itself is aremake of the1994 animated film.[6] Directed byBarry Jenkins from a screenplay written byJeff Nathanson, the film's cast includesSeth Rogen,Billy Eichner,Donald Glover,Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, andJohn Kani reprising their roles from the remake; new cast members includeAaron Pierre,Kelvin Harrison Jr.,Tiffany Boone,Mads Mikkelsen,Thandiwe Newton,Lennie James,Anika Noni Rose, andBlue Ivy Carter in her feature film debut.[7] It features Rafiki telling Simba and Nala's cub the history ofMufasa, how Mufasa met Taka (the Prince who will become Scar) and how he became king of the Pride Lands.
Development on a prequel toThe Lion King was confirmed in September 2020, with Jenkins attached to direct and Nathanson finishing a draft of the script. Pierre and Harrison 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 2022D23 Expo announcement. Production on the film slowed down in July 2023 due to the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The film is dedicated toJames Earl Jones, the voice ofMufasa in the 1994 film and remake, who died three months before the film's release; as a tribute, his voice is heard briefly during the opening titles.[8][9]
Mufasa: The Lion King premiered on December 9, 2024, at theDolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and was distributed in the United States byWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on December 20.[10] The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $723 million, making it thesixth-highest-grossing film of 2024.
AfterSimba becomes King of the Pride Lands,[b] he andNala have a daughter,Kiara, and are expecting another cub. They leave for anoasis for the birth, leavingTimon and Pumbaa to watch over Kiara.Rafiki visits them and recounts the story of Kiara’s grandfatherMufasa, with Timon and Pumbaa addingcolor commentary.
Years ago, as a cub, Mufasa lives with his parents, Masego and Afia, who seek the legendary Milele, a lush oasis. A flash flood rages, seemingly killing the couple and sweeps Mufasa into wetlands where he meets Taka, a royal cub. After surviving an attack by young crocodiles, Mufasa is accepted by Taka’s mother Queen Eshe but tested by King Obasi, who races Taka and Mufasa to decide his fate. Taka deliberately loses so Mufasa can stay.
As time passed, the two brothers grow close, although Obasi distrusts outsiders. During a hunt, Mufasa kills one of two attackingwhite lions; the survivor warns Kiros, leader of the outcast Outsiders, who seek revenge for Kiros' son Shaju’s death. Kiros, along with his sisters Akua and Amara, leads an assault on Obasi’s pride, killing Obasi, Eshe, and their lions. Mufasa and Taka flee, jumping into a river.
After getting stranded in a jungle, the pair meetSarabi, her hornbill scoutZazu, and a young Rafiki. Rafiki, guided by visions, leads them toward Milele. The Outsiders catch up to the group, forcing Sarabi to cause an elephantstampede so they can escape. Taka falls for Sarabi but grows jealous when Mufasa saves her during the stampede; out of loyalty, Mufasa credits Taka with her rescue. As they travel through snowy mountains though Zazu’s footprints, Sarabi admits she knows Mufasa saved her, and the two fall in love. Envious, Taka allies with Kiros, secretly leading the Outsiders to their group.
At Milele, Rafiki identifies Mufasa as his “brother” from the prophecy. The Outsiders arrive to attack, and Mufasa discovers Taka’s betrayal while battling Kiros. Trapped in a cave, Mufasa is nearly killed until a remorseful Taka intervenes but Kiros slashes Taka’s eye, leaving a scar. As the animals of Milele are rallied to battle the Outsiders by Mufasa, Rafiki causes an earthquake that kills most of the Outsiders, but Kiros drags Mufasa into an underwater cavern. A rockfall allows Mufasa, (who is remembering Eshe’s words from earlier) to defeat Kiros, and Taka reluctantly saves Mufasa from drowning; Sarabi intervenes and reunites with Mufasa, and they exited the cave together just as the flood dies down.
Mufasa becomes King of Milele and reunites with a surviving Afia, learning Masego has died. Mufasa forgives Taka and allows Taka to stay but disowns Taka's name, prompting him to adopt the name "Scar." Mufasa ascends the newly named Pride Rock and roars to his kingdom. In the present, Kiara roars to the sky as Mufasa’s spirit watches. Kiara reunites with Simba and Nala and meets her newborn brother, vowing to tell him Mufasa’s story.
In September 2020, it was announced that a follow-up film to the live-action-styledCGIphotorealistic2019 remake ofThe Lion King (1994) was in development, directed byBarry Jenkins.[12] It is his fourth feature directorial role and first inblockbuster filmmaking.[13] Reports indicated a story centered on Mufasa during his formative years, with additional scenes focusing on the events after the first film, comparing the structure to that ofThe Godfather Part II (1974).[14] By this point,Jeff Nathanson, the previous installment's screenwriter, had completed a draft of the script.[15][16] The film was officially announced, with the title ofMufasa: The Lion King at the 2022D23 Expo.[17]
On December 13, 2023, the Hollywood Handle reported that the 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 sinceThe Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), thedirect-to-video sequel to the original animated film.[18] Regarding any adaptation fromSimba's Pride, Jenkins stated that "some stuff" from the canon is very much alluded and referenced, but it is not an adaptation.[19]
In August 2021,Aaron Pierre andKelvin Harrison Jr. were cast as thevoices of youngMufasa andScar, respectively.[20] During an interview withFandango in April 2023 about his filmChevalier (2022), Harrison 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.[21] Speaking withComicBook.com in August 2024, Pierre described how his role as Terry Richmond and his work withJeremy Saulnier inRebel Ridge (2024) offered him, like most of his projects, the opportunity to internalize lessons from the work and characters so as to move forward with his role as Mufasa, saying that previous life experiences inform his future ones.[22] By September 2022, it was revealed thatSeth Rogen,Billy Eichner, andJohn Kani would reprise their roles asPumbaa,Timon, andRafiki, respectively.[23][24]
In April 2024,Beyoncé Knowles-Carter andDonald Glover were confirmed to reprise their roles, withBlue 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, andDominique Jennings announced as new additions to the cast.[7] Jenkins considered casting Blue Ivy as Kiara since he heard theaudiobook version she did for his friendMatthew A. Cherry'sHair 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". However, both Blue Ivy and Beyoncé were enthusiastic when he proposed the idea to them. Coupled with Beyoncé'sRenaissance World Tour, during which Blue Ivy danced to one ofThe Lion King: The Gift (2019) album's songs, Jenkins said there was synergy between mother and daughter with the film showcasing a type of "time capsule".[25]
In September 2022, at the D23 Expo inAnaheim, California, early footage was shown exclusively to attendees for the first time, thus revealing that production was already underway.[17][23][24]Moving Picture Company returned to provide the visual effects.[26] In July 2023, production on the film slowed down due to the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[27]
By June 2022,Nicholas Britell was set to compose the score for the film, having previously collaborated with Jenkins on various projects.[28] He was joined byHans Zimmer andPharrell Williams in September, returning from the 2019 film.[29] In April 2024, it was announced thatLin-Manuel Miranda would write the songs for the film;[7] Jenkins approached Miranda to work on the film due to keeping in touch since Jenkins almost cast Miranda in his filmIf Beale Street Could Talk (2018).[19] He started work on it in secret at the beginning of 2022.[30]Mark Mancina was to co-produce the songs with Miranda, withLebo M providing additional vocals and performances.[7] In September 2024,Dave Metzger was announced to be composing the film's score, with Zimmer, Britell, and Williams said to have dropped out prior to production. While Metzger received sole credit for the score, Zimmer's themes from the previous films were reused in Metzger's score, such as "Under the Stars" and "King of Pride Rock".[31] Zimmer is additionally credited for the track "And So It's Time". Additionally, four of Britell's themes for the film were included, all of which he composed with Lebo M.
During the 2022 D23 Expo, 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 would tell stories about Mufasa's past and his way to becoming king.[32] Barry Jenkins also appeared whenWalt Disney Studios presented its 2024 theatrical slate atCinemaCon on April 11, 2024, to promote the film, where he remarked: "You are probably wondering... what is the director ofMoonlight doing talking to me about an eight-quadranttentpole legacyIP 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."[33]
The first teaser trailer and the official teaser poster, featuring young Mufasa with his adult counterpart reflected in a puddle in front of him, debuted on April 29, 2024, onABC'sGood Morning America. The trailer's music track was bookended by a new instrumental rendition of "Circle of Life", confirming that some musical material byElton John andTim Rice from the previous film would be featured in the film in some way.[34] The trailer received a mixed reception, with some deeming the film as "unnecessary" and a "soulless prequel to a soulless remake". Jenkins responded onTwitter writing, "There is nothing soulless aboutThe Lion King ... For decades children have sat in theaters all over the world experiencing collective grief for the first time, engagingShakespeare for the first time, across aisles in myriad languages. A most potent vessel for communal empathy."[35]
The official full trailer for the film premiered during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at the 2024 D23 Expo on August 10, 2024, alongside a variant on the first poster with Taka and his future adult counterpart of Scar reflected in the puddle. The presentation also premiered "I Always Wanted a Brother", one of the songs Miranda wrote for the film.[36] Miranda appeared in person at D23 for the first time with Jenkins to personally present the trailer.[37]
The final trailer was unveiled at D23 Brazil on November 8, 2024, alongside a new poster featuring Mufasa, Taka, Rafiki, Zazu, Timon, Pumba, and Kiara.[38] Earlier that day, Tiffany Boone and Kelvin Harrison Jr. appeared onGood Morning America to discuss the film and share a sneak-peek of the trailer.[39]
Mufasa: The Lion King's world premiere took place at theDolby Theatre in Los Angeles on December 9, 2024,[40] and was released in the United States on December 20, 2024.[10] It was previously scheduled for release on July 5, 2024, but was delayed to its current date due to the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[23][24]
Mufasa: The Lion King was released fordigital download on February 18, 2025, was released onDisney+ on March 26, 2025, and was released on4K Ultra HD,Blu-ray andDVD on April 1.[41]
The film debuted at No. 3 on the UK'sOfficial Film Chart for the week ending February 26.[42]Mufasa: The Lion King later moved one spot to No. 4 on the UK's Official Film Chart for the week ending March 5.[43] The movie climbed from No. 4 to No. 2 onFandango at Home's digital sales chart for the week ending March 16.[44] The film debuted at No. 1 on both the overall disc sales chart and the Blu-ray Disc sales chart for the week ending April 5, according to data fromCircana VideoScan. HD formats accounted for 46% of its total unit sales, with 37% coming from standard Blu-ray and 9% from a 4K Steelbook combo pack.[45] For the week ending April 12,Mufasa: The Lion King continued to top both the overall disc sales chart and the Blu-ray Disc sales chart.[46]
Analytics companySamba TV, which gathers viewership data from certainsmart TVs and content providers, reported thatMufasa: The Lion King debuted with 880,000 U.S. households streaming the film within its first five days on Disney+. Hispanic households over-indexed by 25% in viewership. By comparison, the film's Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) release on February 18, across digital retail platforms was rented by 217,000 U.S. households in its first five days.[47]Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on certain U.S. television screens, calculated thatMufasa: The Lion King accumulated a total of 2.730 billion minutes streamed between January and June 2025, ranking as the fifteenth most-streamed film in that period.[48][49]
Mufasa: The Lion King grossed $255 million in the United States and Canada, and $468 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $723 million.[5][4]Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $175 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, and other costs; box office grosses, merchandise, television and streaming, and home media revenues placing it ninth on their list of 2024's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".[50]
In the United States and Canada,Mufasa: The Lion King was released alongsideSonic the Hedgehog 3 and was originally projected to gross around $50 million from 4,100 theaters in its opening weekend.[2] After making $13.3 million on its first day (including $3.3 million from Thursday night previews), weekend estimates were lowered to $36–38 million.[3] It went on to debut to $35.4 million, finishing second behindSonic the Hedgehog 3.[51][52] In its second weekend, the film retained second place, grossing $36.8 million.[53][54] In its third weekend, it replacedSonic the Hedgehog 3 at first position at the domestic box office, crossing the $150 million mark.[55][56] In its fifth weekend, the film outperformed newcomersWolf Man andOne of Them Days to finish first at the box office over the four-dayMLK weekend.[57]The New York Times attributed the movie's long-term box office success to less competition from other theater releases and the social media popularity of the movie's songs.[58]
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the film made£4.4 million (US$6 million) in its opening weekend.[59] In India, the film has made more than₹130crore (US$15 million) within 2 weeks of its release.[60]
OnReview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 56% based on 222 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "Barry Jenkins' deft hand and Lin-Manuel Miranda's music go some way towards squaring the Circle of Life inMufasa, but this fitfully soulful story is ill-served by its impersonal, photorealistic animation style."[61]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 51 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[62] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled byPostTrak gave it an 85% positive score.[3]
Several publications said the film's animation was an improvement over the 2019Lion King remake.[63][64][65]Matt Zoller Seitz ofRogerEbert.com gave the film3+1⁄2 stars out of four, writing it is a "technological step up" from the remake, in which it finds "new ways to make the creatures expressive and emotionally available to us while also somehow convincing us that they are indeed animals, whose every talon, whisker, and hair seems as real as imagery in a nature documentary."[63] Maureen Lee Lenker forEntertainment Weekly wrote the animation was "more compelling than the stagnant energy of Favreau'sThe Lion King, but at times, it feels almost frenzied, as if Jenkins is desperate to prove he can do something interesting with the material."[64] In a five-star review,The Times'sKevin Maher praised the film's ending as "a special effects extravaganza that's thankfully free from the incoherence that dogged Jon Favreau'sLion King remake in 2019. Jenkins instead keeps everything focused on the drama, the pain of broken fraternal bonds, and families destroyed and rebuilt."[65] However, Bilge Ebiri ofVulture saidMufasa: The Lion King "looks impressive on a technical level, but it makes even less of an impression than its 2019 predecessor. Yes, it will surely make truckloads of money. Artistically speaking, it feels like an enormous wasted opportunity, especially given the talent involved."[66] inThe A.V. Club, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky called the film an improvement over the 2019 remake, though noted that "making Mufasa and Scar something other than blood relations is aretcon, though it at least explains why they have different accents."[67]
The film's screenplay received mixed reviews.[68][69][70][71] Peter Debruge ofVariety criticized Timon and Pumbaa's comedic interruptions, writing they make "strangely self-aware cracks about corporate lawyers, script notes and a certain hit song they assume everyone's sick of by now"; overall, he said the narrative approach was "like a mistake, serving mostly to delay and interrupt the main attraction, which is Mufasa's origin story".[68]Entertainment Weekly called Jeff Nathanson's script "lackluster" and said the film tried too hard to "over-explain Simba's world. Not everything needs a backstory, a lesson that Disney could use right about now."[64] Lovia Gyarke ofThe Hollywood Reporter said the film's pacing "becomes choppier and less coherent. Part of that can be attributed to an overstuffed narrative. Nathanson plumps the story with platitudes and moments that could lead to, well, more franchising."[69]
Lin-Manuel Miranda's songs received mixed reviews.[c] David Fear ofRolling Stone wrote there's "nothing near as earworm-level as 'Hakuna Matata' or majestically overwhelming" as Elton John's original songs, but that Miranda's compositions served "more like he's bending over backwards to complement those earlier karaoke staples".[72]Amy Nicholson of theLos Angeles Times wrote "it's hard to call any one song a showstopper. They aren't built for bombast, and none are as in-the-moment earwormy as 'Hakuna Matata'..."[71] Lenker said the songs were "a lackluster outing from the songsmith, with no memorable tracks to speak of".[64] James Berardinelli ofReelViews critiqued the "songs are uniformly forgettable, although that could in part be because the numbers inThe Lion King are so memorable. Perhaps Lin-Manuel Miranda was tasked with a thankless job."[70]The Times praised the songs, writing Miranda delivered what is "easily his finest film work since the firstMoana".[65]
FilmmakerRobert Eggers countedMufasa among his favorite films of 2024, saying "It was truly moving to see what Barry Jenkins' singular voice brought to this massive event film."[73]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artios Awards | February 12, 2025 | Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Feature Animation | Francine Maisler and Molly Rose | Nominated | [74] |
| Black Reel Awards | February 17, 2025 | Outstanding Voice Performance | Aaron Pierre | Nominated | [75] |
| Outstanding Soundtrack | Mufasa: The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | Nominated | |||
| Golden Reel Awards | February 23, 2025 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Animation | Onnalee Blank, Harry Cohen, Paula Fairfield, Luke Gibleon, Jason W. Jennings, Benjamin L. Cook, Katie Halliday, Ando Johnson, Michael Mitchell, Jessie Pariseau, Roland N. Thai, Vanessa Lapato, Katy Wood, Pietu Korhonen, John Cucci, Gary Hecker, Mike Horton, Heikki Kossi and Dan O'Connell | Nominated | [76] |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | March 1, 2025 | Worst Remake, Rip-off, or Sequel | Barry Jenkins,Adele Romanski, and Mark Ceryak | Nominated | [77] |
| NAACP Image Awards | February 22, 2025 | Outstanding Character Voice Performance – Motion Picture | Aaron Pierre | Nominated | [78] |
| Anika Noni Rose | Nominated | ||||
| Blue Ivy Carter | Won | ||||
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | June 21, 2025 | Favorite Animated Movie | Mufasa: The Lion King | Nominated | |
| Favorite Song from a Movie | "I Always Wanted a Brother" – Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Aaron Pierre, andKelvin Harrison Jr. | Nominated | |||
| Satellite Awards | January 26, 2025 | Best Visual Effects | Audrey Ferrara and Adam Valdez | Nominated | [79] |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | February 11, 2025 | Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature | Adam Valdez, Barry St. John, Audrey Ferrara, Daniel Fotheringham | Nominated | [80] |
| Outstanding Character in a Photoreal Feature | Klaus Skovbo,Valentina Rosselli, Eli De Koninck, Amelie Talarmain (for Taka) | Nominated | |||
| Emerging Technology Award | Callum James, James Hood, Lloyd Bishop, Bruno Pedrinha (for "Real-Time Interactive Filmmaking, From Stage to Post") | Nominated |
The film was shortlisted in two categories at the97th Academy Awards:Best Visual Effects andBest Original Song for the song "Tell Me It's You". But in both, the film was ultimately not nominated.[81][82]
The prequel carries a hefty budget north of $200 million, so Disney needs 'Mufasa' to be the mane moviegoing event through the new year to justify that price tag and continue the studio's hot streak of 'Inside Out 2,' 'Deadpool & Wolverine' and "Moana 2.'
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