A prequel to the 2019 live-action adaptation of The Lion King, the upcoming film will be directed by Barry Jenkins and tells the story of how Simba’s father, Mufasa, rose from humble beginnings to become the ruler of all the Pridelands. “I had to make this movie,” Jenkins said. “Because when I was 14 I was raising two nephews and there was a VHS tape that we watched about 95 times over the course of two days. I was thinking about Mufasa and how he grows up… I’m not a king, I’m not a king… Mufasa is great because of the family and friends he has with him.” Mufasa: The Lion King. 2024. pic.twitter.com/IkPMk6IDGR — Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) September 9, 2022 Jenkins is perhaps best known for writing and directing the 2016 Academy Award-winning film Moonlight, starring Trevante Rhodes, Janelle Monáe and Mahershala Ali. Most recently he directed If Beale Street Could Talk, the 2018 romantic drama starring KiKi Layne, Stephan James and Regina King. Along with the announcement, a brand new trailer was shown at Disney’s D23 show, giving us a taste of what to expect from the Lion King prequel. And it features the return of some fan favorites. The trailer opens at Pride Rock with a voiceover from Rafiki and a catchy tune from the famous Lion King soundtrack. Crossing the Pridelands, we see baby Mufasa get caught in a flood and washed away…so, it looks like this orphaned cub will be forced to navigate this harsh world alone. Unfortunately, it looks like he’ll be doing it without the help of our favorite meerkat and buzzard. “I don’t feel like being seen,” says Timon, who seems pretty mad that he’s not in the movie. Mufasa: The Lion King will debut sometime in 2024. Want to know what else was announced at Disney’s D23? Check out the new trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 as well as Pixar’s all-new original TV show, Win or Lose. And you can find everything else in our complete Disney and Pixar Studio Showcase collection. Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
