It was inevitable that Disney would continue The Lion King franchise after the success of the 2019 film. The upcoming follow-up movie, Mufasa: The Lion King, will tell the origin story of Mufasa, long before he became King of Pride Rock and Simba’s father. Disney remade the beloved animated 1994 film into a 2019 blockbuster that boasted an all-star cast and grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide. Now, fans are waiting to see the prequel film that’s going to be all about Mufasa. Mufasa: The Lion King will explore the iconic lion’s origins which we’ve never seen before. The film already has a release date and several cast members have been confirmed.
HollywoodLife has rounded up everything we know so far about Mufasa: The Lion King. Find out the release date, who’s directing, which actors are involved, and more below!
The Lion King Prequel Confirmed
Plans for a follow-up to The Lion King were announced in September 2020, when Barry Jenkins signed on to direct the project. Deadline reported at the time that the film would cut back and forth in time between Simba’s time as King and Mufasa’s childhood. Casting announcements for the prequel began in August 2021. The title for the prequel film was officially announced at Disney’s D23 Expo in September 2022, with confirmation that the project will explore Mufasa’s childhood growing up with his brother Scar. Disney also released the first footage from Mufasa: The Lion King exclusively to the D23 audience.
Release Date
Mufasa: The Lion King will be released in theaters on July 5, 2024. The release date was confirmed by Disney in September 2022. As always, that release date is subject to change.
Cast & Crew
Cast
Aaron Pierre is voicing the younger version of Mufasa in the sequel film. James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa in the original 1994 film and the 2019 remake. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is voicing the younger version of Scar, who was voiced by Jeremy Irons and Chiwetel Ejiofor in the past films. The prequel movie will also feature the returns of Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, and John Kani as Rafiki, all from the 2019 flick. No other casting decisions have been announced.
Crew
Barry Jenkins is replacing Jon Favreau to direct Mufasa: The Lion King. He won an Oscar for Moonlight and was nominated for If Beale Street Could Talk. In a statement released after Barry signed onto the film, the director said, “Helping my sister raise two young boys during the ’90s, I grew up with these characters. Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true.”
Jeff Nathanson wrote the screenplay for the prequel, just like he did for the 2019 remake. Jeff reportedly finished the draft for the script before the prequel was announced in Sept. 2020, according to Deadline. Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams are reportedly composing the score for the prequel.
Plot Details
Disney has not released the official plot of Mufasa: The Lion King. But the network did unveil the first footage from the prequel at D23 Expo. The preview, which still hasn’t been released online, features Rafiki telling the story of Mufasa’s origin to young cubs, according to Variety. The outlet reports that the footage gives a glimpse into Mufasa’s childhood when he’s swept away by a flood and becomes an orphan.