Filmmaker Barry Jenkins appeared on stage at the global Disney fan event D23 Expo to officially announce ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’, a new prequel to the 2019 ‘Lion King’ film.
‘Mufasa’ tells the origin story of the iconic Disney father, exploring his childhood growing up with his brother Scar.
The film will feature the voice of Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as younger versions of the characters, filling in for James Earl Jones as Mufasa in both the 1994 original and the 2019 CGI remake, and Jeremy Irons and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villainous Scar.
The footage began with Rafiki (John Kani) telling the story of Mufasa to young cubs, revealing that the lion was actually an orphaned cub who had to navigate the world alone until he rose to become the king of Pride Rock. As such, the film goes beyond the iconic Pride Lands to show him as a cub in a desert, where he is swept away by a flood and becomes an orphan.
‘The Lion King’ is one of the most beloved Disney properties of all time, with the original remaining a critically acclaimed classic and grossing over $960 million worldwide. ‘Mufasa’ will be Jenkins third feature film, after directing the Oscar winning ‘Moonlight’ and ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’.a A release date for the film has not yet been announced.
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