“Mufasa: The LIon King” partial poster image.
Disney Enterprises, Inc.Mufasa: The Lion King — the hit live-action and CG hybrid prequel to the 2019 live-action version of Disney’s The Lion King, is coming to Disney+ this week.
Directed by Oscar-winning screenwriter Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Mufasa: The Lion King opened in theaters on Dec. 20, 2024, and debuted on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Feb. 18.
The logline for Mufasa: The Lion King reads, “Mufasa (voice of Braelyn Rankins), a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (Theo Somolu), the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.”
Aaron Pierre voices the adult version of Mufasa, while Kelvin Harrison Jr. voices the adult version of Taka, who comes to be known as Skar. The film also stars the voices of Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, John Kani, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Blue Ivy Carter and Donald Glover — who reprises his voice role of Simba from 2019’s The Lion King.
Per a YouTube announcement by Disney earlier this month, Mufasa: The Lion King will begin streaming on Disney+ on Wednesday, March 26.
Viewers must subscribe to Disney+ to watch Mufasa: The Lion King on the streaming service. Subscribers can choose between an ad-based streaming plan for $9.99 per month or an ad-free plan for $15.99 per month or $159.99 yearly.
‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Was A Blockbuster Hit In Theaters
Mufasa: The Lion King got off to a slow start at the domestic box office after its Dec. 20, 2024, debut with $35 million in ticket sales from 4,100 North American theaters.
The film gained momentum in theaters in January, however, and to date, per The Numbers, has earned nearly $253.3 million domestically and $464.1 million internationally for a worldwide box office tally of $717.4 million.
According to The Numbers, Mufasa: The Lion King had a $200 million production budget before prints and advertising costs.
Rotten Tomatoes critics collectively gave Mufasa: The Lion King a 57% “rotten” rating based on 215 reviews. RT’s Critics Consensus for the film reads, “Barry Jenkins’ deft hand and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music go some way towards squaring the Circle of Life in Mufasa, but this fitfully soulful story is ill-served by its impersonal, photorealistic animation style.”
Audiences, meanwhile, gave Mufasa: The Lion King an 89% “fresh” score on RT’s Popcornmeter based on 5,000-plus verified user ratings.
Rated PG, Mufasa: The Lion King debuts on Disney+ on Wednesday.
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