Mufasa: The Lion King | |
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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] |
Box office | $3.3 million [3] [4] |
Mufasa: The Lion King is a 2024 American musical drama action-adventure film directed by Barry Jenkins from a screenplay written by Jeff Nathanson. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the film is photorealistically animated and serves as a prequel to The Lion King (2019), the remake of the 1994 animated film of the same name. [5] Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and John Kani reprise their roles from the remake; new cast members include Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, and Blue Ivy Carter in her feature film debut. [6]
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. The film is dedicated to the memory of James Earl Jones, the original voice of Mufasa from the 1994 film and the remake, who died on September 9, 2024, and whose voice is heard briefly during the opening titles. [7] [8]
Mufasa: The Lion King premiered on December 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and was released in the United States by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on December 20, 2024. [9] The film received mixed reviews from critics, with particular praise for Jenkins' direction, music, and voice performances, but criticism for the screenplay and visuals.
After the events of the first film, Simba and Nala have a female cub named Kiara and are expecting their second cub. They leave to visit a oasis where Nala will give birth, while Simba leaves Timon and Pumbaa to watch over Kiara. Rafiki soon visits them and, after telling Kiara about when Simba was her age, decides to share the story about the youth of her grandfather Mufasa and his treacherous brother Scar, with Timon and Pumbaa commenting on the story in between.
Long ago, Mufasa is born to a small family of lions consisting of himself and his parents, Masego and Afia, who preach about a mythical land called Milele. A flood strikes, and Mufasa's fear stops him from joining Afia; he is swept away to a far away land where he meets a royal cub named Taka, who saves him from crocodiles and Taka's mother Queen Eshe intervenes to save them. Eshe accepts Mufasa as her son, but Taka's father, King Obasi, grounds Taka for welcoming an outsider. Mufasa claims that he could be of service to his pride and races with Taka to prove his speed. Mufasa lingers back due to exhaustion, but Taka concedes defeat in order for Mufasa to be welcomed into the pride, much to Obasi's reluctance.
As Mufasa and Taka grow up, they form a strong brotherly bond. While Eshe teaches Mufasa how to hunt, the land is assaulted by two white lions who attack Mufasa and Eshe, but Mufasa kills one and forces the other to flee. Taka sees the attack, but retreats in fear, earning him the ire of his father. The survivor reports back to King Kiros, the leader of a white lion pride called the Outsiders and the father of the lion Mufasa killed; Kiros and his sisters, Akua and Amara, swear vengeance. The Outsiders kill Obasi, Eshe and their clan and chase Mufasa and Taka, who escape while one Outsider is eaten by a crocodile.
As Mufasa and Taka reach land, they encounter a stray lioness named Sarabi, her hornbill friend Zazu and a younger Rafiki, who was exiled by his fellow monkeys and baboons for being different. Rafiki tells them that he is on his way to Milele to find a new home, and the group proceeds to follow him there. Taka begins to grow romantic feelings for Sarabi, but before he can confess them to her, the Outsiders pursue them. Sarabi uses bees to stampede a herd of passing elephants to distract the Outsider, allowing the group to escape. She falls off and gets injured, forcing Mufasa to save her, but he claims to a recovering Sarabi that it was Taka who saved her.
The brothers and their group hide out in snowy mountains. Sarabi tells Mufasa that she knew he saved her, and they soon fall in love. Secretly watching this, a jealous Taka meets with Kiros and his pride, offering a proposition for Kiros to get revenge on Mufasa for his son's death. The next day, the group reaches Milele, a lush oasis, with Taka secretly leaving marks for the Outsiders to follow.
Rafiki dubs Mufasa as his brother as the Outsiders come to attack. Mufasa learns of Taka's betrayal while fighting Kiros. Despite this, Mufasa rallies the animals in the land to fight off the white lions. Kiros forces Mufasa into a cave. Seeing his brother exhausted, a remorseful Taka intervenes, and as he struggles against Kiros, the evil lion swipes his paw over Taka's eye, leaving a scar. Rafiki causes a cave-in, resulting in the cave flooding. Akua and Amara are killed in the collapse when they try to kill Sarabi and the last lions alive. Undeterred, Kiros attempts to drown Mufasa, but a falling rock strikes and kills Kiros as Mufasa swims away to safety. Taka is tempted to drown his brother but instead helps him get out of the water.
The flood recedes, and Mufasa and Sarabi exit the cave together as the animals celebrate their victory, with Rafiki dubbing the couple as King and Queen. Mufasa is soon reunited with Afia, who tells him that Masego died in the past flood. Mufasa confronts Taka about his betrayal, showing forgiveness, but as a consequence, he vows only to refer to Taka as 'Scar'. Mufasa then goes up to the newly formed Pride Rock and roars triumphantly.
Back in the present, Kiara roars atop Pride Rock as the spirit of her grandfather looms over her. She and her friends soon reunite with Simba to meet her new younger brother, Kion.
In addition, Simba and Nala's son Kion, Kiara's younger brother who appeared in The Lion Guard , has a cameo at the end of the film. Archived audio of James Earl Jones, the original voice actor for Mufasa, is heard during the opening dedication to the actor's memory.
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. [10] The film is Jenkins' fourth directorial venture and first into blockbuster filmmaking. [11] 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 structure to that of The Godfather Part II (1974). [12] By this point, Jeff Nathanson, the previous installment's screenwriter, had completed a draft of the script. [13] [14] The film was officially announced, with the title of Mufasa: The Lion King at the 2022 D23 Expo. [15]
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. [16] 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 is not an adaptation per se. [17]
In August 2021, Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. were cast as the voices of young Mufasa and Scar, respectively. [18] 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. [19] Speaking with ComicBook.com in August 2024, Pierre expressed his feelings about how his role as Terry Richmond and his work with Jeremy Saulnier in Rebel 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, feeling that previous life experiences inform his future ones. [20] By September 2022, it was revealed that Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani would reprise their roles as Pumbaa, Timon, and Rafiki, respectively. [21] [22]
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. [6] Jenkins considered casting 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". However, both Blue Ivy and Beyoncé were enthusiastic when he proposed the idea to them. Coupled with Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour, during which Blue Ivy participated as a dancer in a performance of one of The Lion King: The Gift (2019) album's songs, Jenkins felt there was some sort of synergy between mother and daughter with the film showcasing some type of "time capsule". [23]
In September 2022, at D23, the first footage was played exclusively to attendees, thus revealing that production had been underway. [15] [21] [22] Moving Picture Company is returning to provide the visual effects. [24] In July 2023, production on the film slowed down due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. [25]
By June 2022, Nicholas Britell was set to compose the score for the film, having previously collaborated with Jenkins on various projects. [26] He was joined by Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams in September, returning from the 2019 film. [27] In April 2024, it was announced that Lin-Manuel Miranda would write the songs for the film; [6] 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). [17] He started work on it in secret at the beginning of 2022. [28] Mark Mancina was to co-produce the songs with Miranda, with Lebo M providing additional vocals and performances. [6] In September 2024, Dave Metzger was announced to be composing the film's score alongside Britell and Williams, with Zimmer said to have dropped out prior to production though Metzger received sole credit for the film's original score. Zimmer's themes from the previous films, however, are reused in Metzger's score, such as "Under the Stars" and "King of Pride Rock," [29] while Zimmer is credited for the track "And So It's Time".
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. [30] 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 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." [31]
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, 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. [32] 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." [33] 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 showcased a first listen to "I Always Wanted a Brother," one of the songs Miranda wrote for the film. [34] The final trailer was unveiled at D23 Brazil on November 8, 2024, alongside a new poster feauturing Mufasa, Taka, Rafiki, Zazu, Timon, Pumba, and Kiara. [35] Earlier that day, Tiffany Boone and Kelvin Harrison Jr. appeared on Good Morning America to discuss the film and share a sneak-peek of the trailer. [36]
Mufasa: The Lion King premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on December 9, 2024, [37] and was released in the United States on December 20, 2024. [9] It was previously scheduled for release on July 5, 2024, but was delayed to its current date due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. [21] [22]
In the United States and Canada, Mufasa: The Lion King was released alongside Sonic the Hedgehog 3 , and is projected to gross around $50 million from 4,000 theaters in its opening weekend. [2] The film made $3.3 million from Thursday night previews. [38]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 55% of 120 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10.The website's consensus reads: "Barry Jenkins' deft hand and Lin-Manuel Miranda's music go some way towards squaring the Circle of Life in Mufasa, but this fitfully soulful story is ill-served by its impersonal, photorealistic animation style." [39] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [40]
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated musical coming-of-age drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution under the Walt Disney Pictures banner. The film was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff and produced by Don Hahn, from a screenplay written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, Moira Kelly, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Niketa Calame, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Rowan Atkinson, and Robert Guillaume. Its original songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with a score by Hans Zimmer. Inspired by African wildlife, the story is modelled primarily on William Shakespeare's stage play Hamlet with some influence from the Biblical stories of Joseph and Moses, and follows a young heir apparent who is forced to flee after his uncle kills his father and usurps the throne. After growing up in exile, the rightful king returns to challenge the usurper and end his tyrannical rule over the kingdom.
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is a 1998 American animated direct-to-video musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Video Premiere. It is the sequel to Disney's 1994 animated film, The Lion King, with its plot influenced by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and the second installment in The Lion King trilogy.
The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa is an American animated buddy comedy television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It was based on Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King, centering on Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog as they continue to live by their problem-free philosophy hakuna matata. Compared to most other The Lion King media, the tone of the series is more slapstick comedy-oriented.
The Lion King 1½ is a 2004 American animated direct-to-video musical comedy film directed by Bradley Raymond, produced by DisneyToon Studios and released on February 10, 2004. The third installment in the Lion King franchise, the film is both a prequel and a sidequel to The Lion King, focusing on the supporting characters Timon and Pumbaa. A majority of the voice cast from the first film returns to reprise their roles, including Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as the voices of Timon and Pumbaa, respectively. The film's structure is inspired by Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, a tragicomedy that tells the story of Hamlet from the point of view of two minor characters. The Lion King 1½ received generally positive reviews from critics.
Mufasa is a fictional character in Disney's The Lion King franchise. A wise and benevolent lion, he first appears in the 1994 animated film as the King of the Pride Lands and devoted father to Simba, who he is raising to inherit the kingdom. Mufasa is killed by his younger brother, Scar, who murders him to usurp the throne. His death forces Simba into exile, but Mufasa's ghost later appears to an adult Simba, urging him to return home and confront his responsibilities as rightful heir. Mufasa was voiced by actor James Earl Jones, who portrayed him as an authoritative yet doting father, rather than a purely regal figure.
Simba is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Disney's The Lion King franchise. First appearing as a lion cub in The Lion King (1994), the character flees his homeland when his father, King Mufasa, is killed by his treacherous uncle, Scar. Several years later, Simba returns home as an adult to reconcile his childhood trauma, confront Scar, and reclaim his rightful place as King of the Pride Lands. He subsequently appears in sequels The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1½. Simba was originally voiced by actors Matthew Broderick and Jonathan Taylor Thomas as an adult and cub, respectively; various actors have voiced the character in sequels, spin-offs, and related media.
The Lion King is a stage musical with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, with additional music and lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer. It is based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' film of the same name. Directed by Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The show is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.
Lebohang Morake, known as Lebo M, is a South African producer and composer, known for his songwriting and vocal work on the soundtracks to films such as The Lion King, The Power of One and Outbreak and numerous stage productions. He was recommended to Disney by Hans Zimmer, the composer of both adaptations of The Lion King, and formed and conducted the African choir that sang for the films.
Nala is a fictional character in Disney's The Lion King franchise. Introduced in The Lion King (1994), Nala subsequently appears as a less prominent character in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998) and The Lion King 1½ (2004), and serves as a recurring character in The Lion Guard (2015–2019) television series. In the original animated film trilogy, the adult Nala is voiced by American actress Moira Kelly. Young Nala's speaking voice in the original film is provided by actress Niketa Calame, while singers Laura Williams and Sally Dworsky provide the singing voices of young and adult Nala respectively. Nala is introduced as the daughter of an unnamed lion and Sarafina, the best friend of Simba, and ultimately becomes his wife as well as the daughter-in-law of Mufasa and Sarabi and the niece-in-law of Scar by the end of The Lion King. Nala becomes Simba's wife as well as his Queen Consort. Nala is also the mother of Kiara and Kion, and in The Lion King: Six New Adventures, she is the mother of Kopa.
Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and Warthog duo introduced in Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King and its franchise. Timon was played through his many appearances by Nathan Lane, Max Casella, Kevin Schon, Quinton Flynn, Bruce Lanoil in the Wild About Safety shorts and Kingdom Hearts II, while Pumbaa is voiced by Ernie Sabella, and was portrayed by Tom Alan Robbins in the original cast of the Broadway musical. In the CGI remake, the characters are portrayed by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, respectively. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella first came to audition for the roles of the hyenas, but when the producers saw how well they worked together, they decided to cast them as Timon and Pumbaa.
"He Lives in You" is a song written and performed by Lebo M and his South African Choir and co-written by Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin, originally for Rhythm of the Pride Lands, a 1995 album inspired by the 1994 film The Lion King. It is also performed twice in the stage musical adaptation of The Lion King, first produced in 1997. Furthermore, an abridged version of the song was used for the opening of the 1998 sequel film The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.
There have been seven theme park live adaptations of The Lion King at Disney Parks since the Disney animated feature film The Lion King was released by Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1994. These have included a parade, two theater-in-the-round shows, and four stage shows.
"We Are One" is a song in Disney's 1998 direct-to-video film, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride.
"Circle of Life" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King. Composed by musician Elton John and composer Hans Zimmer, with lyrics by Tim Rice, the song was performed by Carmen Twillie and Lebo M as the film's opening song. In an interview, Rice said he was amazed at the speed with which John composed: "I gave him the lyrics at the beginning of the session at about two in the afternoon. By half-past three, he'd finished writing and recording a stunning demo." John sang a pop version of the song with the London Community Gospel Choir, which was included in the film's soundtrack and made into a music video.
The Lion King is a Disney media franchise comprising a film series and additional media. The success of animated original 1994 American feature film, The Lion King, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, led to a direct-to-video sequel and prequel, a live-action remake in 2019, a prequel/sequel to the 2019 film, a television film sequel, two spin-off television series, three educational shorts, several video games, merchandise, and the third-longest-running musical in Broadway history, which garnered six Tony Awards including Best Musical. The franchise is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. The franchise as a whole has EGOT-ed, meaning it has won the four biggest awards of American show business.
Scar is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Disney's The Lion King franchise. He was created by screenwriters Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton and animated by Andreas Deja. Scar is introduced in the first film as the younger and envious brother of Mufasa, the ruler of the Pride Lands. Originally first in line to Mufasa's throne, until he is suddenly replaced by Mufasa's son, Simba, Scar decides to lead an army of hyenas in his plot to take the throne by killing Mufasa and Simba, who escapes into exile, ultimately blaming his brother's death on his nephew.
The Lion Guard is an American animated television series developed by Ford Riley and based on Disney's 1994 film The Lion King. The series was first broadcast with a television film titled The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar on Disney Channel on November 22, 2015, and began airing as a TV series on January 15, 2016, on Disney Junior. It is the second television series to be based on The Lion King, the first being The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa (1995–1999). The Lion Guard is a sequel and spin-off to The Lion King, and takes place during the time-gap within the 1998 direct-to-video sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, while the third and final season takes place in parallel with the film's second act, with the final two episodes serving as an epilogue.
The Lion King is a 2019 American musical drama film that is a photorealistically animated remake of the traditionally-animated 1994 film of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, written by Jeff Nathanson, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Fairview Entertainment, the film stars the voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Florence Kasumba, Eric André, Keegan-Michael Key, JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright Joseph, with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and James Earl Jones. The plot follows Simba, a young lion who must embrace his role as the rightful king of his homeland following the murder of his father, Mufasa, at the hands of his uncle, Scar.
The 2024 American animated musical drama film Mufasa: The Lion King has original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a score composed by Dave Metzger. The film's soundtrack album features seven songs and was released on December 13, 2024, through Walt Disney Records; a deluxe edition released on the same day includes the score and instrumental tracks. The film is a prequel to The Lion King (2019), a photorealistically animated remake of The Lion King (1994); Miranda collaborated on the songs with South African composer Lebo M, who was involved with the 1994 film. Production on the album was handled by Miranda, Mark Mancina, and Tom MacDougall.
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