Mufasa: The Lion King is set to be a stunning introspection on brotherhood, destiny, and legacy — at least according to early critic reviews.
Directed by Oscar-winning Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, the movie, which premiers December 18 in the Philippines, tells the story of a young orphaned Mufasa and his chance friendship with Taka (a.k.a. Scar), the heir to a royal lion bloodline. It is also the latest live action addition to Disney’s The Lion King franchise. It comes five years after the 2019 live action remake of The Lion King, a film which, although praised for its hyperrealistic visuals, was criticized for being a redundant copy of the original 1994 animated film.
However, so far, the exploration of the Pride Rock leader’s back story has been met with high praise from members of the press. Variety’s senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay refers to the film as “the perfect prequel,” citing its “beautifully crafted” cinematography and original score produced by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mark Mancina. The Koalition’s entertainment editor Dana Abercrombie echoes this same positive sentiment, praising the film’s nuanced storyline and commending it as “a story that deserves to be told that makes you question what [destiny] is.”
Mufasa also boasts a cast as star-studded as its predecessor, with big names such as Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, and Billy Eichner returning to reprise their roles. Newcomers Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. lend their vocal talent as the younger Mufasa and Taka/Scar, while Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter makes her feature film debut as Kiara.
