Yahoo Movies Mufasa: The Lion King sets Disney+ streaming date
Disney’s live-action reboot gets the prequel treatment
Disney invites you to revisit its photo-realistic digital savannah one more time for Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel story to director Jon Favreau’s 2019 live-action retooling of the studio’s 1994 animated classic.
As head honcho of Pride Rock and father to his reluctant future heir Simba, Mufasa ruled over the beasts of his land with a fair yet feared reign — but how did he arrive at this place of power? Using the latest computer-animated technology, Disney fills in the blanks of Mufasa’s youth, showing us the previously unseen story of the cub who would be king.
The blockbuster, helmed by Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, released in cinemas in December 2024, and will come to Disney+ for streaming at home in March 2025.
Read on for all the key details surrounding Mufasa: The Lion King.
When is Mufasa: The Long King coming to Disney+?
Barry Jenkins' musical prequel Mufasa: The Lion King will stream on Disney+ from 26 March. Featuring new songs from Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda, the 118-minute blockbuster is sure to be a huge hit with family audiences at home who lapped up the movie at the cinema.
How does Mufasa fit into the Lion King timeline?
Like any good prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King sheds new light on the untold story of how a beloved and heroic character came to be. To do this, Jenkins takes us back to a time when Mufasa and Scar were young siblings, chronicling the events that helped to forge the characters they ultimately become.
Told in flashbacks, the film enlists mandrill Rafiki to relay the story to Simba and Nala’s daughter Kiara, voiced by Blue Ivy Carter — who is the daughter of music superstars Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
The film’s official synopsis reads: “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.”
Who stars in Mufasa: The Lion King?
Several of the stars of Favreau’s 2019 live-action reboot of The Lion King are back for the prequel, with Donald Glover and Beyoncé leading the way as Simba and Nala respectively.
Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen will be back as meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa, while Black Panther star John Kani will once again provide the voice of mystic baboon Rafiki. English stage actor Aaron Pierre will voice a young Mufasa — taking over from legendary actor James Earl Jones, who played the character in Disney’s animated original and Favreau’s remake.
As mentioned above, Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter will make her acting debut as Kiara, daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala.
Elvis actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. will inherit the role of Simba’s evil younger brother Scar, while Fantastic Beats star Mads Mikkelsen will play Kiros, a formidable lion with big plans for his pride
Other new additions to the star-studded cast include Keith David as Mufasa’s father Masego, and Thandiwe Newton as Scar’s mother Eshe.
Who did the music for Mufasa: The Lion King?
The original 1994 Disney film The Lion King had a killer soundtrack with songs composed by Elton John, and lyrics by Tim Rice, and a score composed by Hans Zimmer. The 2019 remake reused many of those hit songs, and added a few more including a new track from Beyoncé.
For the prequel, Disney rolled out the big guns once more with a soundtrack featuring original songs by Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda and a score composed by Dave Metzger. Miranda collaborated with South African composer Lebo M for the songs.
