As franchises go, Disney’s The Lion King is one of the most beloved, with the original 1994 animated film giving way to sequels, spinoffs, and even photorealistic remakes, such as 2019’s The Lion King. But when it comes to the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King, Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins nearly passed on Disney‘s biggest franchise without reading a single page. The Moonlight director’s initial reaction to helming The Lion King prequel? A flat-out no.
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“I definitely thought that when it first came my way,” Jenkins told GamesRadar+. “I got a call from my agent saying, ‘Disney has sent over this project – a prequel for The Lion King.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, that’s not going to happen.’ But without even reading the thing!”
The unexpected pairing of Jenkins, known for in-depth dramas like Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk, with Disney’s photorealistic animation initially seemed like an odd match. It was only at the insistence of his partner, fellow filmmaker Lulu Wang, that Jenkins agreed to look at the screenplay during the 2020 pandemic lockdown. The result surprised him.
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“I expected to read five pages, and about 45 pages in, I turned to her, and said, ‘Hell, this shit is good!’” Jenkins said. “As someone who was very familiar with The Lion King, I was shocked at how many things I assumed I knew, or how many things I thought were etched in stone about who these characters were.”
The director also discovered unexpected parallels between screenwriter Jeff Nathanson’s vision and his own artistic interests, particularly in themes of “the bonds between brothers, and this idea of found family, yearning, community, and legacy in a certain way. And just really deep things said and unsaid between the characters in interpersonal relationships.”
The leap from Jenkins’ previous work to a $250-million Disney production marks his biggest directorial challenge yet. His earlier films established him as a master of intimate storytelling. After receiving a Best Director Oscar nomination and winning Best Adapted Screenplay for Moonlight, which also claimed Best Picture, Jenkins continued to focus on smaller, character-driven narratives.
Mufasa: The Lion King follows Rafiki (John Kani) as he recounts the origin story of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) to Simba’s daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter). The narrative explores how an orphaned Mufasa is taken in by Prince Taka’s family and their brotherhood’s eventual dissolution as Taka transforms into the vengeful Scar.
For Jenkins, who firmly considers this “an animated film” despite its photorealistic style, the project offered unexpected creative opportunities.
“I am communicating constantly with these animators who are trying to manipulate these somewhat photorealistic sort of models in a way that is expressive,” he explained. “It’s just a very different tool.”
The film, set for release on December 20th, features an ensemble cast including Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, and Beyoncé Knowles Carter.