Disney’s The Lion King prequel: Title and release date officially announced

Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins announced the prequel to the 2019 film The Lion King at the global Disney fan event D23 Expo. The official Instagram handle of Disney also shared the poster on its page and made the news official. The prequel has been officially titled Mufasa: The Lion King. He also gave an exclusive sneak peek into the film at the event, and from the look of it, Mufasa looks like another winner in Disney’s hands.

The first look teaser of the film showcased the journey of Mufasa from the time he was a cub to the time he became the ‘lion king’. Baby Mufasa gets swept away in a flood, making him an orphan who is about to take on the world all by himself. Talking about the character, Jenkins shared, “Mufasa was actually an orphan who had to navigate the world alone himself. And, in telling the story, we get to experience the real journey of how Mufasa found his place in the circle of life,” the director said.

“Mufasa is the origin story of one of the greatest kings in the history of the private lands. The story is told in two different time frames. It’s a story about how Mufasa rose to loyalty. We assume that he was just born into his lineage, but he was actually an orphan who had to navigate the world alone by himself. We get to experience the real journey of how Mufasa found his place in the circle of life,” the director said at the ongoing D23 expo.

The classic Walt Disney Studio film The Lion King was originally released in 1994 and followed the theme of good winning over evil. In 2019, it was remade by the studio and it once again gained popularity among the audience and became a box office hit. The prequel will hit the screen in 2024.