Mufasa: The Lion King Early Reactions Are Out: Barry Jenkins’ Film Passes With Flying Colors, Critics Call It “An Unexpected Blood-Thirsty Prequel W/ Stunning Visuals”
Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled to be released on December 20. Read on
Mufasa: The Lion King Early Reactions(Photo Credit – YouTube)
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Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to the 2019 blockbuster The Lion King, is set to be released in just a few days. The early reactions are pouring in on social media already, and we are here with a detailed report on that. Disney’s Moana 2 is already ruling at the box office, and another animated feature by the media conglomerate will be out soon, and it is getting really exciting for the exhibitors. Scroll below for the deets.
About the Movie-
It has been directed by the Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins. He won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Moonlight. It is both a prequel and a sequel to The Lion King, a remake of the 1994 classic. Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, John Kani, and Beyonce Knowles-Carter will reprise their roles from the 2019 musical.
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The new cast of Mufasa: The Lion King also includes Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, and Blue Ivy Carter in her feature film debut. The story follows Mufasa’s origin story. Rafiki the mandrill tells the tale of two lions, Mufasa and Taka, to Kiara—the granddaughter of Mufasa and daughter of Simba and Nala. The story follows the orphan Mufasa, who is befriended by the young prince Taka and adopted by Taka’s family; the pair become as close as brothers. Timon the Meerkat and Pumbaa, the Warthog add their fun commentary as usual.
Joedie Poblete wrote, “It has some pacing issues, but #MufasaTheLionKing has a great third act that really sets up the legacy that is The Lion King animated film. It’s crazy what epic believability we can get with CGI now, with this movie as a shining example. Mads Mikkelsen sings. Congrats Team Disney!”
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It has some pacing issues, but #MufasaTheLionKing has a great third act that really sets up the legacy that is The Lion King animated film. It’s crazy what epic believability we can get with CGI now with this movie as a shining example. Mads Mikkelsen sings. Congrats Team Disney! pic.twitter.com/u6ubDz3LEJ
LaughingPlace.com stated, “Be prepared! #MufasaTheLionKing occasionally suffers from a bout of prequelitis, but otherwise this movie functions as pleasantly diverting (though semi-tragic) family fare for the holiday season, with just enough drama, adventure and laughs to fill its slightly overlong runtime.”
Be prepared! #MufasaTheLionKing occasionally suffers from a bout of prequelitis, but otherwise this movie functions as pleasantly diverting (though semi-tragic) family fare for the holiday season, with just enough drama, adventure and laughs to fill its slightly overlong runtime. pic.twitter.com/KFMxgC0fiy
Joaquín Teodoro’s short review read, “I really loved #MufasaTheLionKing. Disney brings us a new and original tale of these beloved characters telling two parallel stories and correcting the aspects that didn’t work in the 2019 remake. Lion King fans: there are many references to the original trilogy. The music: ❤️”
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I really loved #MufasaTheLionKing. Disney brings us a new and original tale of these beloved characters telling two parallel stories and correcting the aspects that didn’t work in the 2019 remake. Lion King fans: there are many references to the original trilogy. The music: ❤️ pic.twitter.com/RUjRooxRLJ
iammichaeljlee.bsky.social criticized the film’s music and said, “#MufasaTheLionKing is an unexpected blood-thirsty prequel w/ stunning visuals and cinematography but contains subpar songs that don’t advance a contrived story. It’s fine for those interested learning about Mufasa and Taka’s origins. At least the humor provides laughs and levity.”
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#MufasaTheLionKing is an unexpected blood-thirsty prequel w/ stunning visuals and cinematography but contains subpar songs that don’t advance a contrived story. It’s fine for those interested learning about Mufasa and Taka’s origins. At least the humor provides laughs and levity. pic.twitter.com/VOdj8WUvwE
Jared Bush stated, “Wow!! @BarryJenkins and @Lin_Manuel blew the roof off at the #Mufasa – The Lion King premiere tonight. Epic, exciting and visually spectacular, I can’t wait to see it again. Beautiful harmonies and counterpoint courtesy of LMM. Cinematography and animation was next level. Congrats!!!”
Wow!! @BarryJenkins and @Lin_Manuel blew the roof off at the #Mufasa – The Lion King premiere tonight. Epic, exciting and visually spectacular, I can’t wait to see it again. Beautiful harmonies and counterpoint courtesy of LMM. Cinematography and animation was next level.… pic.twitter.com/CcRPeplHs9
Senior film critic Dempsey Pillot wrote, “Pleased to say #MufasaTheLionKing is really good! But what else would you expect from Barry Jenkins? A biblical exploration of destiny brilliantly disguised as an origin story for Mufasa and Scar. Entertaining, visually stunning, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music did not disappoint!”
Pleased to say #MufasaTheLionKing is really good! But what else would you expect from Barry Jenkins? A biblical exploration of destiny brilliantly disguised as an origin story for Mufasa and Scar. Entertaining, visually stunning, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music did not disappoint! pic.twitter.com/NrSCM4F5yu
Stand-up comic Chris Killian wrote, “I’ll be the first to admit that a Lion King prequel was not something I was asking for, but the animation is incredible, the songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda are infectious, and the vocal performances make #Mufasa – dare I say – better than the 2019 version of Lion King.”
Pleased to say #MufasaTheLionKing is really good! But what else would you expect from Barry Jenkins? A biblical exploration of destiny brilliantly disguised as an origin story for Mufasa and Scar. Entertaining, visually stunning, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music did not disappoint! pic.twitter.com/NrSCM4F5yu
John Nguyen praised the film, saying, “#Mufasa is a fantastic prequel that outdoes the first photorealistic The Lion King movie by a mile with an original and engaging story, better facial animation, and fun songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It ties nicely to the previous film’s story and you get to see how it all started.”
#Mufasa is a fantastic prequel that outdoes the first photorealistic The Lion King movie by a mile with an original and engaging story, better facial animation, and fun songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It ties nicely to the previous film’s story and you get to see how it all started. pic.twitter.com/JNxVdW6FPS
Dana Abercrombie said, “#MufasaTheLionKing left me speechless. Its a story that deserves to be told that makes u question what is destiny. Expertly written & crafted, it adds to #TheLionKing franchise by adding more dimension to the characters we love & thought we knew. The visual effects are astounding.”
#MufasaTheLionKing left me speechless. Its a story that deserves to be told that makes u question what is destiny. Expertly written & crafted, it adds to #TheLionKing franchise by adding more dimension to the characters we love & thought we knew. The visual effects are astounding pic.twitter.com/p6pwcfD7Wj
The first reactions to the musical drama are mostly positive, and they might even impact its debut weekend collection. However, an initial report by Box Office Pro projected that the film would earn between $55 million and $85 million. Meanwhile, 2019’s The Lion King collected $191.77 million, which is around 125.61%- 248.67% more than Mufasa‘s reported long-range projection.
Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled to be released on December 20.
