Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) is no stranger to composing music for Disney. He has written songs for Moana including “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome,” and he was responsible for composing the songs for Mufasa: The Lion King. The musician knows making music for a new Lion King movie would be daunting due to the legacy of Elton John’s music.

“The Lion King – that original ’94 soundtrack is an immortal soundtrack,” Miranda said during the press conference for Mufasa: The Lion King. “It’s like no skips from Elton John and Tim Rice, and then Hans Zimmer’s incredible score. But if it had just been that first movie, I think I would have been very intimidated, but there’s been an entire world of Lion King music.”

There has been more music in the world of The Lion King including the Broadway musical, Beyonce’s The Gift, and more. This has made it less intimidating for Miranda. Plus, he had a secret weapon to help him.

“And then my secret weapon was Lebo M., who is the first voice you hear in that original film,” he said. “I knew his choral arrangements and his incredible choir were going to raise whatever I wrote to the next level. And working with him and Mark Mancina, who I worked with on Moana, I knew I had incredible talent in my corner that would help us get to that Lion King level.”

2024 is the year for Aaron Pierre, who was the lead in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge and was cast as John Stewart / Green Lantern in DC Studio’s Lanterns series. He portrayed Malcolm X in the fourth season of Genius with Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Martin Luther King Jr. The two actors are in another project again in Mufasa: The Lion King, with Pierre as Mufasa and Harrison Jr. as Taka (later known as Scar).

“So, this particular picture was the first time that Kelvin and I had the opportunity to work together,” Pierre said. “And beyond that point, we had the great privilege and honor of portraying heroes of ours, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X (el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz). But interestingly, on both of these projects, we didn’t spend an enormous amount of time in the same room, so our friendship and our brotherhood, the foundation and the roots of that actually developed 90 percent of that outside of the context of work. And that’s what we engaged with and that’s what we drew from to find the brotherly bond and sort of the familiarity that these two, of course, brothers, would have.”

The origin story for Mufasa in the 2024 film is different from what fans may know. Mufasa told his son, Simba, about how they are part of the kings of the past in the classic animated film. In Mufasa: The Lion King, the titular character is separated from his family and finds a new family.

“When I first read the script, I realized, ‘Well, wait a second, Mufasa grew up with a found family the same way that I did,'” Director Barry Jenkins said. “Or if I told you I have a movie about a child who has a biblical event that involves water, and then he’s cast away from his family and has to build a new life with a new family, I could be talking about Moonlight or talking about Mufasa.

“I was able to see myself in Mufasa through this telling of the story. And something about that made me feel like I was taking these really raw, beautiful feelings of encountering this story as a child and expanding them, with the complexity, I will say, of 25 additional years of life. Or 30 years of additional life in the case of people who encountered this in 1994. I think just not separating myself from someone who I believe was gonna have that experience, but being one of those people. I think it was the key to figuring out how to make this film.”

About Mufasa: The Lion King

Synopsis: Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces 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.

The film stars Aaron Pierre (Mufasa), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Taka/Scar), Tiffany Boone (Sarabi), Kagiso Lediga (Young Rafiki), Preston Nyman (Zazu), Mads Mikkelsen (Kiros), Thandiwe Newton (Eshe), Lennie James (Obasi), Anika Noni Rose (Afia), Keith David (Masego), John Kani (Rafiki), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Billy Eichner (Timon), Donald Glover (Simba), Blue Ivy Carter (Kiara), Braelyn Rankins (Young Mufasa), Theo Somolu (Young Taka), Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Nala).

The film is directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and written by Jeff Nathanson.

Mufasa: The Lion King releases in theaters on December 20, 2024.

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The film is set after the events of 2019’s The Lion King where Simba and Nala are now the king and queen, respectively, of Pride Rock. They now have a daughter, Kiara, who learns of the tale of how Mufasa became king by Rafiki, the wise mandrill. The story then focuses on Mufasa’s story for most of the running time with some scenes of Kiara, Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa sprinkled in to remind audiences of how the characters are all related. (And to sell merchandise.)

Mufasa described the ancestors of Simba in the 2019 and 1994 films, leading one to think that Simba came from a long line of royalty. However, Mufasa: The Lion King turns that upside down, with director Barry Jenkins embracing a new origin story for Mufasa where he was adopted by Taka’s royal family. This story resonates with the director because he’s also part of a chosen family. As a result, we get to see Mufasa having to rise to the occasion as a newcomer instead of fulfilling his duty if he were to be a prince from the beginning.

When the 2019 The Lion King came out, one of my gripes was the facial animation. The lions didn’t have a lot of expression, and it just felt like watching a nature documentary with moving mouths. In Mufasa: The Lion King, the lions are more expressive, and it’s easier to recognize their emotions, whether they are afraid, sad, happy, or angry.

The voice cast brings life to the younger versions of iconic characters including Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka (later known as Scar), and Tiffany Boone as Sarabi. Mads Mikkelsen voices Kiros, the leader of the white lions, aka “The Outsiders,” and he oozes power and fun as a villain.

Lin-Manuel Miranda serves as the songwriter for the film, adding his style to a franchise known for its music by Elton John. The musician has created incredible and memorable music in Hamilton and Moana, and although the songs in Mufasa: The Lion Kong are good, most of the songs won’t have a lasting impact where it’ll get stuck in my head (except for “Bye Bye”). Mads Mikkelsen definitely had fun singing “Bye Bye,” a fun and catchy song with a dark undertone.

I saw the film at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, and it was in 3D with Dolby Vision and Atmos. The 3D wasn’t as prominent as say something like Avatar, but there were a few highlights including a waterfall sequence. Dolby Vision showcased the colorful world of The Lion King with the lively savanna environments, deep blacks with the night sky, vivid colors of the different animals and biomes, and more. Dolby Atmos is where the film shined as the roars of the lions and the thunderous sounds of a stampede felt impactful, to name a few. For Dolby Cinema locations, visit https://dolbylabs.co/Mufasa.

Final Reaction

Mufasa: The Lion King is better than 2019’s The Lion King with expressive facial animation and an engaging origin story that isn’t a remake. The film is beautiful to look at and the music is enjoyable albeit it won’t be stuck in my head in the future. In conclusion, it’s a fun watch but isn’t something that I love.

Score: 3.5/5 Atoms

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Disney’s The Lion King 30th Anniversary – A Live-to-Film Concert Event will also have a tribute to the Broadway musical with performances throughout the evening.

You can get tickets now at Ticketmaster.

The special event will be held for two evenings, showcasing the classic 1994 animated film with a full orchestra led by conductor Sarah Hicks. The memorable songs from Sir Elton John and lyricist Sir Tim Rice will be performed live by the original cast singers from the 1994 and 2019 films including Billy Eichner (“Timon” 2019), Jeremy Irons (“Scar” 1994), Nathan Lane (“Timon” 1994), Ernie Sabella (“Pumbaa” 1994), and Jason Weaver (“Young Simba” 1994). Special guests Bradley Gibson (“Simba” in the Broadway stage production) and Jennifer Hudson. Songs include “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” “Circle Of Life” and “Hakuna Matata.”

The two nights will also have a full choir, lively productions on the Bowl shell, fireworks and more.

As for The Lion King Broadway musical, there will be cast members performing select numbers for the first time at the Hollywood Bowl complete with costumes, set design and puppetry.

The concert is produced by the team behind Disney’s Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl and Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, Disney Concerts, Fulwell 73 Productions, AMP Worldwide and Live Nation-Hewitt Silva.

The year of Lion King continues with the upcoming live-action film, Mufasa: The Lion King, which will be released on December 20, 2024.

The Lion King Synopsis: Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “The Lion King” journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother — and former heir to the throne — has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is riddled with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from his long-lost friend, Nala, and a curious pair of newfound friends, Pumbaa and Timon, Simba must figure out how to face his past and take back what is rightfully his.

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