- Mufasa: The Lion King will hit the theatres on December 20, 2024.
- The film will focus on Mufasa's backstory and feature some recurring characters from The Lion King.
- At D23, Dinsey dropped the official trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King.
Disney never fails to impress the fandom by bringing the most praise-worthy storylines in the most amazing way possible. The studio tried to do the same with The Lion King franchise by creating a live-action remake of the original movie, which was released in 1994. Despite performing well at the box office, the live-action version remained slightly behind the original. However, it seems Disney has decided to follow up on the 2019 adaptation by shedding light on Mufasa’s backstory in the upcoming prequel as well as the sequel film Mufasa: The Lion King. Here’s all you need to know about it.
When Will Mufasa: The Lion King Come Out
The Disney film was initially supposed to hit global theatres on July 5, 2024, but due to the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, its development was slowed down. Now, Mufasa: The Lion King will release on December 20, 2024.
Following the theatrical release, the film will surely make its way to Disney Plus. Generally, films show up on streaming platforms 45 days after their theatrical releases, but nothing has been announced for Mufasa: The Lion King at the moment. So, let’s wait for any such news in the coming months.
Does Mufasa: The Lion King Have a Trailer
Walt Disney dropped a brief teaser trailer of Mufasa: The Lion King on April 29, 2024. It lasted for 1 minute and 33 seconds, revealing what we would witness. The teaser starts with Rafiki’s narration, stating, “The story begins far beyond the mountains and shadows. A lion was born.” Then we hear the name Mufasa and see the orphaned cub standing on a hill. Rafiki continues narrating: “A lion who would change our lives forever.” Besides that, we see numerous animals, including Giraffes, Monkeys, Rhinos, and Elephants.
At D23, the official trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King was showcased which showed the the childhood of Mufasa and Taka (scar). The short trailer was quite impactful and loved by the audience.
What Is the Cast of Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King will see several voice actors from the 2019 adaptation, and it will also include some new voices. Firstly, the lion king Mufasa will be voiced by the English actor Aaron Stone Pierre. The actor worked in several television shows and films, including Krypton and Brother, respectively. He has also received the award for Best Supporting Performance in a Film for Brother in the 2023 Canadian Screen Award. Braelyn Rankins will be heard as the voice of young Mufasa.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. will voice Mufasa’s evil adoptive brother Scar, who became the reason for the lion king’s death. The 2019 film saw Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, so we expect Harrison Jr. to do justice to the antagonistic character as Ejiofor did.
The goofy pair of the meerkat and the warthog Timon and Pumbaa will also return for the upcoming film, and Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen will voice them.
The teaser trailer of the film only allowed us to hear the voice of Rafiki, the shaman of the Pride Lands. The South African actor Bonisile John Kani has voiced the character.
Donald McKinley Glover Jr. will lend his voice to Simba. In addition to the aforementioned cast and characters, we will hear Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Preston Nyman as Zazu, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, Thandiwe Newton as Eshe, Lennie James as Obasi, Keith David as Masego, Anika Noni Rose as Afia, and Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara.
Furthermore, Dominique Jennings, Folake Olowofoyeku, Sheila Atim, Thuso Mbedu, and Abdul Salis will also join the cast. However, nothing about their characters has been revealed yet.
What Is the Plot of Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King will focus on the orphaned cub who eventually became the ruler of the Pride Lands. We will learn about the events that remained a mystery for decades.
Mufasa: The Lion King will focus on the orphaned cub who eventually became the ruler of the Pride Lands. We will learn about the events that remained a mystery for decades.
The official synopsis of Mufasa: The Lion King states:
“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.”
Recently, a BTS video of the prequel surfaced, and we witnessed the voice actors talking about how good the storytelling would be. Besides that, they also revealed that the film would shed light on Mufasa and Taka, aka. Scar’s bond when they were cubs. They also talked about how Barry Jenkins worked on the project to give it a real feel. Barry also talked about how he has accomplished his goal of making this film a beautiful ride with the cast of his dreams.
