Walt Disney Pictures presents Mufasa: The Lion King. The Disney spin-off explores the origin story of Mufasa, the beloved future leader of the animal kingdom. It also delves deeper into what caused a rift between his brother, Scar, a presumably rogue lion unrelated to the orphaned future king of Lion Guard.
Mufasa: The Lion King Release date
Mufasa: The Lion King is coming out on December 20, 2024.
The prequel comes after the 2019 installment garnered immense success, earning $1.7 billion in global box office earnings. Meanwhile, the original movie grossed $960 million.
Thus making it the highest-grossing Disney movie of all time.
Mufasa: The Lion King Cast and Production Team
Mufasa: The Lion King is directed by the Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins.
It is a music-themed film – just like a typical Disney movie. Moreover, it has an origin story and a follow-up to Jon Favreau’s 2019 photorealistic adaptation of Disney’s The Lion King. Favreau’s film was based on the original 1994 Disney animated classic of the same name.
It boasts an incredible music team with musical contributors from an array of artists, including:
- Hans Zimmer is returning to compose the original score, continuing his iconic work from previous Lion King films.
- Nicholas Britell has been hired to serve as the composer for the film’s score.
- Pharrell Williams will also return to contribute to the music.
- Lin-Manuel Miranda has been brought on to write songs for the movie.
- Mark Mancina and Lebo M will be co-producing songs and providing additional vocal performances alongside Miranda.
Moreover, Blue Ivy Carter is set to make her film debut by lending her voice to the character Kiara, the daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala. Meanwhile, her mother, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, will reprise her role as Nala from the 2019 film.
Aaron Pierre will voice Mufasa in the film
James Earl Jones voiced The Lion King in both previous films.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. will portray Mufasa’s brother, Scar, effectively replacing Chiwetel Ejiofor from the 2019 film and Jeremy Irons from the 1994 animated classic. Harrison’s character is listed in the credits as Taka, a lion prince with a promising future who embraces Mufasa as his brother.
- Billy Eichner as Timon
- Seth Rogen will return as Pumbaa
- Donald Glover as Simba (reprising his role from the 2019 film)
- Tiffany Boone voices Sarabi
- Kagiso Lediga voices Young Rafiki
- Preston Nyman as Zazu
- Mads Mikkelsen voices Kiros, a strong lion from another pride
- Thandiwe Newton as Taka’s mother, Eshe
- Lennie James voices as Taka’s father, Obasi
- Anika Noni Rose voices Mufasa’s mother, Afia
- Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego
- John Kani voices Rafiki
Additional cast members include:
- Braelyn Rankins
- Theo Somolu
- Folake Olowofoyeku
- Joanna Jones
- Thuso Mbedu
- Sheila Atim
- Abdul Salis
- Dominique Jennings
Script for Mufasa: The Lion King was written by Jeff Nathanson, who also worked on the original film. Meanwhile, Lin-Manuel Miranda is writing the songs. Miranda quipped about the Lion King’s incredible legacy with music:
“The Lion King has an incredible musical legacy with music from some of the greatest songwriters around, and I’m humbled and proud to be a part of it. It’s been a joy working alongside Barry Jenkins to bring Mufasa’s story to life, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience this film in theaters.”
Mufasa: The Lion King Plot and Trailer
The film Mufasa: The Lion King will tell the backstory of Simba’s father, Mufasa, the formidable lion. It will show his origin as an orphan who grows up to become a wise, powerful, and compassionate ruler.
The official logline outlines the premise:
“Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka — the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny — their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.”
The first teaser trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King was revealed at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Walt Disney Studios released the trailer three days ago.
The movie is set to release on December 20, 2024. Until then, you can satisfy your curiosity with upcoming releases that include Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Vultures 2, Sweet Tooth Season 3, and The Kardashians Season 5 in the lineup.
