Audiences were quite smitten with the live-action version of The Lion King. The photo-realistic adaptation made $1.6 billion at the box office, making it one of the most successful Disney films ever produced. Of course, when money talks then Disney is going to milk this cash cow for all it’s worth. That’s where Mufasa: The Lion King comes in.
The purpose of the film is to dive deeper into the father of Simba. The full synopsis for Mufasa: The Lion King has yet to be released, but the brief logline on IMDB gives us more context on the overall narrative: Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored. The cast includes Seth Rogan, Bill Hader, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. You would think that this would be a recipe for success, but after the release of the first image, more concerns have arisen about the upcoming prequel to The Lion King.
Mufasa Never Needed A Backstory
Interestingly, Disney chose to do a prequel of Mufasa instead of the more interesting character, Scar. Even then, we understand Scar’s motivations and he doesn’t need to be explained. Neither does Mufasa. Hollywood is making this mistake by trying to over-explain characters. Mufasa is a solid character and despite his tragic death, there was nothing about him that warranted a prequel. Does that mean a good film can’t be out of this? Of course, it can!
Barry Jenkins is a talented filmmaker after all. The right filmmaker can make a good film out of anything. The problem is that this spin-off doesn’t accomplish much within the context of The Lion King. It won’t add much dimension to the world itself as this is a prequel. We already know Mufasa’s fate in the future, so any danger that he experiences in the spin-off will ring false because Simba hasn’t been born yet. We don’t need to see how he became the King of the Pride Lands. Mufasa: The Lion King feels like a blatant cash cow. Nothing less. Nothing more.
Barry Jenkins
Barry Jenkins is an extremely talented filmmaker who made incredible films like Moonlight or If Beale Street Could Talk. However, when you dive deep into his filmography, you’ll notice that Jenkins has never done a commercial film of this nature. It isn’t just that he’s never done a blockbuster before, but an action/adventure movie itself. It feels that Disney is piggybacking off the success of his recent Oscar win instead of finding the perfect director to spearhead this prequel.
By all accounts, I hope I’m wrong as Jenkins can give Mufasa the emotional gravitas that is necessary. Blockbuster/mainstream filmmaking is completely different than what the 44-year-old is used to doing. His films are sentimental dramas, which is the last thing Mufasa should be. Of course, the story is the most crucial aspect here, but the concern with Jenkins is that he may veer left and focus on the sad drama and strip the spirit out of the original Lion King. He has to find that balance that brings the character to life and reminds everyone why they fell in love with the original animated film in the first place.
The Photo-Realistic Animation
Disney did incredible work to capture what it would feel like if The Lion King was real. The problem is, that Disney focused so hard on the photo-realistic aspects that it stripped all of the vibrance and character from the animated series. The big reason that animated films are so fondly remembered is because of how lively and vibrant the world is. Animation can get away with not properly depicting what a real animal kingdom would look and feel like. That allows the filmmakers to create colorful and spirited characters within a beautiful setting that highlights their personalities.
Based on the photo that was recently released, Disney is going with the photo-realistic approach again. Hopefully, they heard the critics on the adaptations, as The Lion King was an extremely bland imitation of the original feature. The characters felt lifeless and the world came across as dull. Fans don’t care about it being an exact representation of a real animal kingdom. They want the incredible characters that burst onto their screens in the 1994 classic. Mufasa can be something special in the Disney canon, and hopefully, it turns out better than its predecessor.
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