The 2019 adaptation of The Lion King was made using a combination of live-action footage and CGI. Now the successful venture is being followed up with a brand-new prequel and sequel titled Mufasa: The Lion King. The first look at Mufasa: The Lion King has been released by Disney, as shared down below.
Interestingly, the film will tell the story of younger versions of both Mufasa and Scar. The first look at Mufasa: The Lion King even shows a cub version of Mufasa, something that will no doubt bring back plenty of memories. The image was first shared during Disney’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. It was later shared on the social media platform X.
Here’s the image, which reveals a young Mufasa standing on a cliffside very much in the style that we know from The Lion King and its different retellings:
First look at ‘MUFASA: THE LION KING.’
Releasing in theaters on December 20. pic.twitter.com/O902KU3K66
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) April 3, 2024
Barry Jenkins directed this new iteration from a screenplay written by Jeff Nathanson. It’s worth noting that Nathanson also wrote the screenplay for the 2019 version of the film. Many plot details are being kept under wraps, but the prequel elements are being told as a story from Rafiki to Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara.
John Kani will return as Rafiki for the film, with Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen also returning as the voices of Timon and Pumbaa, respectively. Aaron Pierre will voice the young Mufasa and Kelvin Harris Jr. will voice the young Scar.
Fans will be able to see Mufasa: The Lion King when it hits theaters on December 20, 2024. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding Mufasa: The Lion King as we have them. For now, it looks like an interesting follow-up to the 2019 iteration and we’ll have to see how this story continues to pan out. Especially with so many fans of the animated source material out there.