Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King teaser trailer is indistinguishable from The Lion King
Brand new story, same old uncanny valley photorealistic CGI lions in Mufasa: The Lion King, which premieres December 20
Film News The Lion King
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” (per Variety). 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. (Some outlets have noted the “intimate Barry Jenkins close-up” is present.) 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. (Kiara was first introduced in the direct-to-video sequel The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride. “There’s some stuff from the canon that is very much referenced or alluded to, but it’s its own thing,” Jenkins promised of his movie in an interview with Empire Magazine.)
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, (“a lion prince with a bright future who accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother”, so, Scar), Tiffany Boone voices Sarabi, Kagiso Lediga voices Young Rafiki, Preston Nyman voices Zazu (taking over from John Oliver in the 2019 version), Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros (“a formidable lion with big plans for his pride”), 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.
54 Comments
I don’t find it attractive, but that trailer has kind of a cartoonish quality more than “photo realistic.”But, man, I’m sure Jenkins is getting paid and this will be the first movie of his I’m very certain to skip. 🙁
What a fever dream; I had no idea this was coming.
I saw some mention of it recently that reminded me that I had learned about it at some point a year or two ago. I sighed audibly.
Eeh, I’m not feeling the love tonight.
Well I for one know I just can’t wait to be… somewhere else when this movie is playing.
The film’s coming out whether you like it or not, so Be Prepared.
I saw your comment and wondered if the Elton John song was still the most popular Disney movie song on Billboard. Nope, the “Encanto” song took the top spot. LMM at his most annoying. Kind of surprised to see “Let It Go” was only #4.
Looks like LMM is doing original songs for this one as well.
I don’t think he can make this worse but he’s full of surprises.
He’s literally the reason I stopped watching the His Dark Materials series. WHO SHOULD WE GET TO PLAY THIS GRIZZLED OLD TEXAS COWBOY? OH, I KNOW! A NEW YORK CITY THEATRE KID WHO EXFOLIATES THREE TIMES A DAY AND CAN’T TAKE A STAGE PUNCH…OR THROW ONE.
If I were Jenkins I wouldn’t care how they settled on me to direct the movie. The last one made a billion dollars, so this may be the biggest payday opportunity he ever gets. No one’s going to fault him for it.
There is zero chance a Disney movie grosses a billion again any time soon.
The script moved him … To a bigger house!
Whoops I said the loud part quiet and the quiet part loud!
Coming soon: Barry Jenkins’ ‘Man Getting Hit By Football’.
Jenkins, a few years later: “I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific.”
Precisely.
Plus you probably get to play with a lot of new toys you’d never be able to afford on another shoot.
‘Moonlight’ is such a beautiful film, the guy basically has a lifetime pass as far as I’m concerned. He could direct an adaptation of ‘Atlas Shrugged’ on that amount of goodwill.
Apparently, the film is both a prequel and a sequel, alternating timelines with Mufasa’s story and Simba and Nala raising their daughterSo it’s like Godfather 2?
“I knew it was you, Zazu. You broke my heart.”
“That’s why they call him Superlion.”
I don’t know if I approve of the scene where Simba frames a fellow Pride Lion into thinking he murdered his favorite lionness to get political power over him.
It’ll be interesting to see Mufasa do…favours…for other animals.
I can handle things! I’m smart!- Scar
No! No alternating, sequel also prequel! I was confused enough by Evangelion, I don’t need this!
could do without the lin manuel miranda of it all, but idk this seems like it’ll be just as fine as the last one.
Da fuck he do? Is this the Hathaway thing again?
Listen, I can absolutely understand and emphasize with Jenkins for getting a hefty paycheck. But assuming this turns out bad (which I would say has at least an 80% chance), his filmography is probably gonna be way lopsided. He could have just done the Alexander Payne thing and done scriptwork. Nobody identifies Payne as the writer for I Now Prononuce you Chuck and Larry.
You mean he’s the guy who ripped off…
I’d be interested in a prequel but not this live-action nonsense.
live action?
If it’s like the 2019 Lion King, it’s all CGI, not live-action at all.
I obviously know that, unless you think I believe these are trained lion actors performing in a movie. They called it live-action in the article, as they have been since the first “live-action” Lion King remake, which was intended to put it in the same bucket as Disney’s practice of making live-action versions of their other animated films.
Kathleen Kennedy was excited about race-swapping every character until the producers explained that animals don’t have races.
F-
No John Oliver? and now, this
I don’t get the hate the live action remake gets. I honestly liked it more than the original, and my 5 year old loved it. I showed him the original and he said it was weird. Just get over it. Disney isn’t making it for you, they’re making it for 5 year olds who didn’t know they’re was one that came before. And in another few years, they’ll do it again in some other way for another set of new 5 year old and the billion dollar circle will continue until the heat death of the universe
I mean, you might have a point if there originals weren’t accessible.
“Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King teaser trailer is indistinguishable from The Lion King”Right, because it’s a sequel. Did you complain that John Wick: Chapter 3 looked like a John Wick movie?Do better, AVClub AI.
Why bother making them photoreal if you’re going to give them such cartoonish expressions?
Because live animals don’t emote like cartoons. Which, of course, may lead you to ask “why not make this a cartoon?” Money. Money is why not.
They tried realistic expressions last time and it was the thing everybody hated.
Right, so, why go photoreal? It just maximizes the uncanniness. Either go all in on animated (CG or hand drawn, whichever) or drop the human expressions. They should go for the classic Disney-style voiceover with realistic animals — Milo & Otis, Homeward Bound, even The Cat From Outer Space — than anything like this.
Hakuna Ma-caca
They should’ve made this with actual, real Lions.
What’s the worst that could happen?https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/noel-marshalls-roar-humans-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-film
That’s what I was thinking of. I reckon the medical expenses would work out cheaper than paying a bunch of VFX guys.Probably less traumatic for the crew not having to work through the last few weeks of crunch.
Wait, so Mufasa is not actually the rightful heir to the kingdom? That puts Scar’s resentment of him in a new light.
The phrase, the canon, bothers me. Its The Lion King, it was a one off movie with some meh DTV stuff. Its not fucking Fallout or something. I don’t watch Beauty and the Beast and think, I wonder what Belles backstory was or how as the French Revolution as a sequel. Its a masterpiece adaptation of a fairytale, happily ever after is THE END. UGH.
I asked for it. So you’re wrong. Fuck you