Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), is a live-action musical drama film that is both a prequel and sequel to the animated The Lion King (1994) and the live-action remake The Lion King (2019). The prequel to The Lion King (2019) was confirmed in September 2020. Still, Mufasa: The Lion King was officially announced with its official title in September 2022 at the 2022 D23 Expo–an event held at the Anaheim Convention Center to show panels, exhibits, and presentations of new Disney projects.
The film delves into Mufasa’s early life as an orphaned cub alongside his adoptive brother Taka–Scar–as they develop a brotherly bond. However, the book, The Lion King: A Tale of Two Brothers (1994), has already established the backstory between Mufasa and Scar. Mufasa and Scar were always biological brothers, Mufasa being the favorite firstborn while Scar was second. This change, which has drawn a lot of criticism, leaves fans wondering about the continuity of the story set in The Lion King (1994).
To me, it felt as if the writers were trying to justify Scar’s betrayal. Scar was the jealous, hungry-for-power second son who had killed Mufasa in secrecy to avoid judgment and shame. It drives Scar to overthrow Mufasa and even exile his nephew to assert the dominance he was denied. The fact that Scar and Mufasa were blood brothers in the original, adds a layer of complexity that wouldn’t exist if Mufasa was an orphan.
On a good note, Mufasa: The Lion King has gained a total of $545.9 million with a reported budget of around $200 million, so it is still widely well-received. The Lion King (1996) is one of my favorite childhood movies and will forever be a class. I am just not sure how well-executed the idea and plot are in Mufasa: The Lion King.
