Brand new story, same old uncanny valley photorealistic CGI lions in Mufasa: The Lion King, which premieres December 20
If no one was asking for a live-action Lion King remake, then really no one—maybe even negative people—were asking for a live-action Lion King remake prequel. Even burgeoning auteur Barry Jenkins sounded a little confused about how he ended up as director when introducing footage at CinemaCon, acknowledging that people might be wondering “‘what is the director of Moonlight doing talking to me about an eight-quadrant tentpole legacy IP massive film?’” He thought it “was very strange” at first too, but now calls it “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life” .
You can judge that for yourself now that the teaser trailer for the movie—which premieres in theaters December 20—is here. If you’re looking for Jenkins’ fingerprints on this trailer, you can see it, sort of. Mostly it just looks… a lot like the previous Lion King. For one thing, it’s still a bunch of photorealistic computer-generated animals, which convey none of the expression, playfulness, and whimsy of the 1994 animated classic. For another, many of the scenes depicted are indistinguishable from The Lion King as we know it: Lion on a big rock. Stampede. Animals doing choreography. Rafiki making wise pronouncements. Timon and Pumbaa getting up to hijinks. What looks like a fiery climactic battle. Lion looking up at stars in the configuration of another lion. The sameness extends to the characters and cast, including Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani, who are all reprising their roles from the 2019 film. But Mufasa also features that movie’s Simba and Nala, Donald Glover, and Beyoncé. Apparently, the film is both a prequel and a sequel, alternating timelines with Mufasa’s story and Simba and Nala raising their daughter Kiara, played here by Beyoncé’s actual daughter Blue Ivy Carter. There are only a few instances in the teaser to distinguish Mufasa from the 2019 film, including visions of a lion’s pride in Africa’s snowy mountains. Otherwise, we pretty much have to wait and see for the new stuff, which includes original music from Hamilton’s Lin Manuel Miranda. Per Disney’s synopsis, the new story follows “Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.” As far as new cast members go, Aaron Pierre voices the young Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. voices Taka, , Tiffany Boone voices Sarabi, Kagiso Lediga voices Young Rafiki, Preston Nyman voices Zazu , Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros , Thandiwe Newton as Taka’s mother, Eshe, Lennie James as Taka’s father, Obasi, Anika Noni Rose as Mufasa’s mother, Afia, and Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego.
Mufasa Barry Jenkins Timon & Pumbaa Aaron Pierre Sarabi Beyoncé Masego Simba Kagiso Lediga Thandiwe Newton Donald Glover Young Rafiki Lin Manuel Miranda Taka Mads Mikkelsen Scar John Oliver Rafiki Kelvin Harrison Jr. Entertainment Culture Keith David He Lives In You Lennie James Afia Seth Rogen Disney Obasi John Kani Preston Nyman Eshe Nala The Lion King II Billy Eichner Tiffany Boone Kiara Anika Noni Rose Human Interest Blue Ivy Carter Timon And Pumbaa The A.V. Club
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Disney’s Mufasa Movie Features A Refreshing Change That Wasn’t Possible In 2019's Lion King RemakeMufasa: The Lion King, an upcoming musical-meets-drama prequel to Disney's The Lion King, has a distinct advantage over the 2019 remake: It isn't beholden to an earlier film. Directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and penned by Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can), the Mufasa prequel draws from both The Lion King and its 1998 sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride
Read more »
Mufasa Timeline: How Long Before The Lion King Does It Take Place?Young Mufasa in the Mufasa The Lion King trailer
Read more »
Mufasa: The Lion King Will Introduce a Surprising Character From Lion King 2Kiara, who previously appeared in The Lion King II and The Lion Guard, is coming to live action.
Read more »
Blue Ivy Carter Joins Beyoncé in ‘Lion King’ Prequel ‘Mufasa’: Watch the TrailerBeyonce and Blue Ivy Carter will star in 'Mufasa: The Lion King. Watch the trailer.
Read more »
Mufasa: The Lion King Trailer Confirms Returning Actors Beyoncé and Donald GloverDonald Glover and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reprise their voice roles from 2019's The Lion King.
Read more »
Donald Glover & Beyoncé's The Lion King Return Confirms Major Theory About Mufasa's StoryMufasa from Mufasa: The Lion King, Donald Glover, and Beyonce.
Read more »