Barry Jenkins, Oscar-winner for Moonlight, has been making Mufasa: The Lion King for four years. It does not sound like he’s had fun.
With Moana 2 currently occupying much of Disney’s marketing and fan attention, that the House of Mouse has another huge film set for release before the end of the month has flown under the radar to an extent.
Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to 2019’s The Lion King, which itself was a remake of the beloved 1994 film. While we’re a long way from the delightful originality of Disney’s late-century renaissance era, there’s no denying that drilling down on sequels seems to have paid off for the studio this year, with each of its 2024 blockbuster releases (none of which are original films) so far cumulatively accumulating over $1.5bn.
There’s one more film to release before the year’s end, and that’s Mufasa: The Lion King. Buzz hasn’t been as strong, and it will be interesting to see whether it can continue Disney’s momentum into 2025. Directed by Moonlight filmmaker Barry Jenkins, the CG prequel will – as the title suggests – tell the tale of Mufasa, father of the original film’s hero, Simba.
Barry Jenkins has been talking to Vulture about the process of making a CG animation ahead of the film’s release and a little surprisingly (given that the film’s marketing is about to kick into overdrive), he isn’t exactly gushing with cheer about the experience.
Here’s his take:
“It is not my thing. It is not my thing. I want to work the other way again, where I want to physically get everything there. I always believe that what is here is enough, and let me just figure out what is the chemistry to make alchemy? How can these people, this light, this environment, come together to create an image that is moving, that is beautiful, that creates a text that is deep enough, dense enough, rich enough to speak to someone?”
It’s important to point out that this is one snippet from a much, much lengthier profile piece which is well worth a read. Still, it’s hardly the kind of ringing endorsement of the process that Disney marketing bods will want to hear. We’re with Jenkins on this one, though and will be happy to see the filmmaker back working on original stories with practical sets and human actors for his next project.
Mufasa: The Lion King is set to release in the UK on 20th December.
Here’s the official synopsis:
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.
