‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Review: Barry Jenkins Can’t Quite Save Disney’s Scattered Prequel

Story by Lovia Gyarkye

Image from The Hollywood Reporter

scrn logline

Disney's 'Mufasa: The Lion King' prequel stumbles despite visionary director Barry Jenkins' efforts to elevate the corporate IP within a confused narrative.

beat sheet

Barry Jenkins, the acclaimed director known for films like 'Moonlight' and 'If Beale Street Could Talk', struggles to reconcile his artistic vision with Disney's profit-driven mandate, resulting in an uneven final product.
The film features strong voice performances from franchise newcomers Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Mads Mikkelsen, but the overstuffed plot and underdeveloped characters like Sarabi undermine the potential of this 'Lion King' origin story.

call sheet

Barry Jenkins, Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Donald Glover, Seth Rogan, Billy Eichner, John Kani, Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Disney, Mufasa: The Lion King

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