Mufasa: The Lion King cast, release date and everything we know

Get ready for Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” a live-action prequel to The Lion King. Disney’s been remaking classics, like Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella, in live-action, with The Little Mermaid being their latest success. While the 2019 live-action Lion King had mixed reviews, it raked in over $1 billion, paving the way for this Mufasa prequel. More details on the production remain to be revealed.

Mufasa: The Lion King Release date

Deadline obtained confirmation of Mufasa: The Lion King’s July 5, 2024, release date at D23 in September 2022. This indicates that the film will be released in less than a year from the time this is written. Mufasa: The Lion King will hit theaters on December 20.

Important Note: This article was updated on April 29, 2024.

The Cast And Crew

Mufasa: The Lion King cast — Image credit: AMC Theatres

James Earl Jones and Jeremy Irons are iconic as Mufasa and Scar, but in the 2019 live-action adaptation, Chiwetel Ejiofor voiced Scar. The upcoming film explores their younger years, with Aaron Pierre taking onthe role of Mufasa, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. playing Taka, who becomes Scar, according to a report from Deadline in August 2021.

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Aaron Pierre is known for his roles in movies like M. Night Shyamalan’s “Old” and the Amazon Prime miniseries “The Underground Railroad.” Kelvin Harrison Jr. has an impressive filmography, including “Mudbound,” “It Comes at Night,” “Cyrano,” and the 2023 historical drama “Chevalier. “Both actors have showcased their talent, making it exciting to see how they’ll breathe life into these beloved Disney characters.

The Plot

Details about the plot of “Mufasa: The Lion King” are currently limited, but it’s known that the film will delve into Mufasa’s formative years, as reported by Deadline. When it was announced in September 2020 that Barry Jenkins would direct the film, it was mentioned that the narrative would explore the mythology of the characters we know and provide a deeper look into Mufasa’s origin story, an aspect not extensively covered in the original Lion King.

This approach of fleshing out Mufasa’s character and backstory is welcomed by fans, especially since Mufasa’s early death was a profoundly emotional and traumatic moment in both the original and 2019 adaptations.

Mufasa: The Lion King Director

Barry Jenkins will be directing Mufasa: The Lion King, it was revealed. The director’s two most well-known films are If Beale Street Could Talk and Moonlight, the latter of which was nominated for many Oscars including Best Picture. To be honest, Barry Jenkins wasn’t the first director I had in mind for this project. However, I’m interested in seeing how he develops this story and manages working on a large-scale production following his experience with independent films. The 2019 film was directed by the renowned Jon Favreau of Iron Man and The Jungle Book, which thrilled him. We’ll watch to see how Jenkins handles his follow-up.