"One of the best decisions I ever made": Barry Jenkins opens about making Mufasa: The Lion King

The trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King was recently revealed to the attendees of the CinemaCon on April 11, 2024. While Barry Jenkins is helming the project instead of Jon Favreau, he addressed the experience of preparing the film as he spoke at the event. He stated:

"I gotta say, the thought was very strange to me at first, as well. But oh my god. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life, and I'm so glad I made this picture."

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is working on the distribution of the upcoming musical drama. Seth Rogen, who was a part of the remake, will return this time, giving his voice to Pumbaa.

Jenkins had previously spoken on the film's storyline at the D23 Expo in 2022, saying that the lead character was an orphan who was left to search for a place in the world by himself.

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Barry Jenkins reveals a few details about Mufasa: The Lion King: CinemaCon statements explored

Jenkins compared the budget of The Lion King prequel, saying that it is higher than the films he worked on throughout his career. Although he refused to disclose anything about the person who created the entire soundtrack of the film, he said that "they are absolutely amazing."

Saying that it was a "very personal film", Barry Jenkins even recalled the time when he watched the 1994 animated film along with his nephews and what he felt after reading the script.

"And so when the script of Mufasa: The Lion King came across my desk, I was reminded of watching these two very young people deal with very complex emotions in a way that I felt they were very cared for."

Talking about Mufasa: The Lion King's plot, Jenkins said that it will focus on the early life of Mufasa and how he became the king of the Pride Lands of Africa. He said that the film is "full of heart" and would be specifically loved by the kids.

He continued:

"Audiences can expect so many things in this film – an epic story and a comedy with plenty of familiar faces. There are some absolutely hilarious moments and some with extreme gravitas."

CinemaCon, which was held at the Las Vegas-based Caesars Palace, revealed glimpses of the much-awaited projects over the years. The list includes films such as Deadpool & Wolverine and Captain America: Brave New World.

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Trailer and other details about Mufasa: The Lion King explained

While the 1994 animated film had two sequels, Disney decided to go with a different approach this time and emphasize Simba's father for the storyline. Barry Jenkins' involvement with the project was confirmed by The Walt Disney Studios in 2020 and the casting process began the following year.

As mentioned earlier, the film's trailer was officially revealed at CinemaCon and Disney global distribution president Tony Chambers expressed his excitement by saying:

"The film features the same immersive, photoreal environment that wowed audiences the first time."

Mufasa will remain the central character and audiences will also get to see the young side of Timon and Pumbaa. Although the trailer is yet to be released online, Variety reported that it features Mufasa running among other animals with Rafiki speaking in the background, who would narrate the story to Simba and Nala's daughter Kiara.

The film is arriving on the big screen on December 20 this year and Jeff Nathanson, who penned the screenplay for the 2019 remake, is also returning. Aaron Pierre will be voicing Mufasa and other cast members include Kelvin Harrison Jr., Billy Eichner, and John Kani.