When compiling together a list of strategies that should be bold but aren’t actually so, remaking The Lion King in live-action should hover near the upper echelons of that list. We got the perfect version of that movie back in 1994, it remains a beloved classic to this day, and it’s therefore the exact sort of film that doesn’t need a remake.
Of course, Disney remade it anyway, and it made $1.6 billion. Thus, the obvious next step was to double down and make a follow-up, which is due in theaters next year.
To Disney’s credit, however, this next film is a story we’ve never seen before; titled Mufasa: The Lion King, it’ll be a prequel to the 2019 feature, and follow the origins of Mufasa alongside the aftermath of The Lion King.
Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani will all return for the prequel, but one of the new faces (or voices, if you want to be specific) is Kelvin Harrison Jr., who’s currently lighting up the big screen in the biographical drama film Chevalier as the titular Joseph Bologne, who loans his voice to Scar in the prequel.
Speaking to DiscussingFilm, Harrison Jr. was happy to remind us all that Mufasa: The Lion King is well on its way, assuring us all that this new take on one of Disney’s most illustrious IPs will be one to watch.
“We’re deep in it. It comes out next year so we’re pretty much almost done. Everything looks really great so far. I was skeptical and I kept making a joke with Barry. Every time I go in there I’m like, ‘Barry this might be a good movie’ and he’s like, ‘Oh, it might be?’. It’s going to be lots of fun. I think you’re going to like it.”
It’s no Treasure Planet remake, but a brand new story in a beloved world is arguably the next best thing, and with a talent as electrifying as Harrison Jr. involved, Disney fans should keep their eyes peeled.
Mufasa: The Lion King will release to theaters on July 5, 2024.
