Mufasa: The Lion King

Mufasa: The Lion King is a photorealistic CGI-animated film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a prequel and sequel to the 2019 adaptation of the 1994 film The Lion King. It was released in theaters on December 20, 2024.
A prequel film about the rise of one of the greatest kings of the Pride Lands, goes back to the African savanna where Rafiki tells Kiara—daughter of Simba and Nala—the story of her grandfather while Timon and Pumbaa add color commentary.
==Synopsis==
Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, "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.
==Plot==
==Cast==
*Aaron Pierre as Mufasa
*Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka
*Tiffany Boone as Sarabi
*Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki
*Preston Nyman as Zazu
*Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros
*Thandiwe Newton as Eshe
*Lennie James as Obasi
*Anika Noni Rose as Afia
*Keith David as Masego
*John Kani as Rafiki
*Seth Rogen as Pumbaa
*Billy Eichner as Timon
*Donald Glover as Simba
*Blue Ivy-Carter as Kiara
*Braelyn Rankins as Young Mufasa
*Theo Somolu as Young Taka
*Folake Olowofoyeku as Amara
*Joanna Jones as Akua
*Thuso Mbedu as Junia
*Sheila Atim as Ajarry
*Abdul Salis as Chigaru
*Derrick L. McMillon as Mosi
*Maestro Harrell as Inaki
*A.J. Beckles as Azibo
*David S. Lee as Mobo
*Dominique Jennings as Sarafina
*Beyoncé as Nala 
*James Earl Jones as Mufasa (archive recording)
==Production==
On September 29, 2020, it was announced via Deadline, that a follow-up was in development for the realistic CGI animated remake of The Lion King. Jeff Nathanson, who wrote the remake, was confirmed to return as writer, while Barry Jenkins will replace Jon Favreau as the film's director. The film's story will expand on the mythology of the franchise and explore Mufasa's origin story while moving the story forward in the present, in a structure similar to that of The Godfather Part II.
On May 8, 2021, it was announced that the working title of the film was Wonderwall. It was also announced that production for the film would officially begin in Los Angeles on September 6, 2021.
On September 15, 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported that film would be released on July 5, 2024.
On November 9, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter reported that film had pushed back its release date from July 5, 2024 to December 20, 2024.
On April 29, 2024, it was reported that Lin-Manuel Miranda had been hired to write original music for the film.The Hollywood Reporter on twitter
==Reception==
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 57% of 152 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10. 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." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 48 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
==Videos==
Mufasa- The Lion King - Teaser Trailer
Mufasa- The Lion King - Official Trailer
Mufasa- The Lion King - Final Trailer
Mufasa- The Lion King - Experience It In IMAX
Mufasa - The Lion King - Scar - Only In Theaters December 20
Mufasa - The Lion King - Epic Adventures - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - Rivals - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - Music of Mufasa - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - Get Tickets Now- In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - Official Clip We Are The Outsiders - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - "Fight With Me" - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - Cast Booth-To-Screen - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - Official Clip - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - Get Tickets Now - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - Official Clip - In Theaters December 20-2
Mufasa- The Lion King - Backstage Music - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - Get Tickets Now - In Theaters December 20-2
Mufasa- The Lion King King - In Theaters December 20
Mufasa- The Lion King - In Theaters Now
Mufasa- The Lion King - In Theaters Now-2
Mufasa- The Lion King - In Theaters Now-3
==Gallery==
==Trivia==
*Blue Ivy-Carter, who plays Kiara, is the real life daughter of Beyoncé, who plays Nala.
*The majority of this film is a prequel to the 2019 version rather than being adapted from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, the 1998 direct-to-video sequel to the original film, from what can be inferred from a Deadline article source.
*This is the first time that Kiara appears on the big screen.
*Tiffany Boone, who plays Sarabi, previously appeared as Young Ursula, in an episode of ABC's Once Upon a Time.
*This is the third sequel to a Disney live-action adaptation of an animated film after Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and 102 Dalmatians.
*Mufasa: The Lion King is both Barry Jenkins' first musical film and first entirely animated film.
*The film reunites Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Lennie James who previously portrayed Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Martin Luther King Sr. in the fourth season of National Geographic's Genius on Disney+.
*The film also reunites Anika Noni Rose and Keith David who previously voiced Tiana and Dr. Facilier in 2009's The Princess and the Frog.
**This is Keith David's fourth time being involved in The Lion King franchise. He previously voiced Mr. Pig in an episode of Timon & Pumbaa, and then voiced Mufasa himself in the video game The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure, and the House of Mouse animated series.
**Anika Noni Rose also previously starred in the animated series Amphibia.
*As part of events to celebrate release of movie, Mufasa was added as playable character in Disney Heroes: Battle Mode in December 2024. This also marked first time where Mufasa was actively playable character which can be controlled by a player, as other times he was NPC.
*This film is dedicated to Mufasa's original voice actor, James Earl Jones, who died on September 9, 2024. His voice was briefly heard during the opening titles saying, "Look at the stars. Whenever you feel alone, the Great Kings of the Past will always be up there to guide you. And so will I..."
==References==
==External links==
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it:Mufasa: The Lion King
pt-br:Mufasa: O Rei Leão
Category:The Lion King
Category:Disney films
Category:Prequel films
Category:2024 films
Category:3-D films 
Category:Films about animals
Category:Animated films
Category:PG-rated films