Mufasa: The Lion Kingnow has a significant difference from Jon Favreau’sThe Lion King,which could fix a big mistake of the latter. Thestory ofMufasa: The Lion Kingcenters around the titular character, chronicling his journey from a stray lion to the king of the Pride Lands.Mufasa: The Lion King’s voice castfeatures an array of talent, some returning from 2019’sThe Lion King,given the former is simultaneously a prequel and a sequel.
In this vein,Mufasa: The Lion Kingis taking queues fromThe Lion King 1 1/2,one of the fewgood Disney straight-to-video sequels. Aside from telling a compelling origin story for the titular king, many are hoping thatMufasawill better the live-actionLion King, which was criticized for its photorealism and lack of expression and emotion as a result. Recently,Mufasa’s director, Barry Jenkins, may have proved a method through which the film can do so by differentiating it from Favreau’sThe Lion Kingin one key way.
Mufasa’s Director Barry Jenkins Views The Film As Animated, Not Live-Action
The Way The Lion King Is Being Perceived Has Changed
The differentiation in question came from Jenkins himself.Jenkins labeledMufasaas animated, not live-action, a major change from the first movie. This implies that the film has been approached differently since its inception, something that could ease the worries of audiences that the film will repeat the mistakes of its predecessor - or successor, chronologically speaking. When asked about the live-actionLion King, howMufasacompares, and whether the Academy Award-winning filmmaker views it the same, Jenkins had this to say:
“Absolutely, yeah, it’s an animated film.I am communicating constantly with these animators who are trying to manipulate these somewhat photorealistic sort of models in a way that is expressive. And so because of that, I don’t think of it as live action. I do think of it as animation. It’s just a very different tool.”
Another benefit that these comments from Jenkins raise is the credit being given to the animators ofMufasa: The Lion King. In modern Hollywood, it is easy for general audience members to not realize how much work gets put into big-budget films from animators and other post-production workers. On a project likeMufasa: The Lion King, this work would only be greater. Thankfully, Jenkins gives credit to the animators of the images inMufasa, insisting that he does not view the film as a live-action production.
Jon Favreau & Disney Viewed 2019’s The Lion King As A Live-Action Movie
This view from Jenkins somewhat differs from the perception of 2019’sThe Lion King. This movie was first announced as a live-action remake of the original 1994 classic by Disney, being advertised alongside other movies of the same ilk, likeBeauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Cinderella,andThe Little Mermaid, to name only a few. This idea of turningThe Lion Kinginto a live-action movie is what caused some criticism of the film, with many disappointed that the incredibly realistic animals - no matter how fantastic they looked - were not emoting like their fully animated counterparts.
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This was primarily driven by Disney and Jon Favreau, who strove to make the film look as realistic as possible and, thus, live-action. This was even reinforced by Favreau in 2019 in an interview with theLos Angeles Times:“Even though we use animation techniques, we wanted it to appear live-action.“All of this proves the difference in mindset between the filmmakers ofThe Lion Kingand those ofMufasa: The Lion King, with the latter being dubbed an animation in comparison to the former’s live-action title.
Mufasa’s Animated Movie Framing Is Significant
Naturally, many will be questioning why this differentiation even matters. After all, the two films are still connected by their characters, storylines, voice actors, and animation techniques. However,Mufasa: The Lion Kingbeing classed as an animation is significant for a few reasons. For one, it removes the divisive cloud that hung overThe Lion King. A big discussion in 2019 was that the film is not a live-action movie, as there are no actual tangible, practical elements in play at all. As such, Disney and Favreau classing it as a live-action caused controversy.
While it remains to be seen whetherMufasagives its characters more emotive facial animations, embracing the medium of animation as a whole seems to be a step in the right direction…
WithMufasabeing called an animated movie, this controversy will not loom over the film as it did its predecessor. Secondly, as alluded to, Jenkins treating the production as animation and his subsequent dedication to making"somewhat photorealistic models"expressive and emotive could removeThe Lion King’s biggest issue. While it remains to be seen whetherMufasagives its characters more emotive facial animations, embracing the medium of animation as a whole seems to be a step in the right direction. Overall,Mufasa: The Lion King’s animation title is a big deal in differentiating it from its eponymous peer.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Cast
Mufasa: The Lion King explores the origins of the beloved character Mufasa, focusing on his youth as a lost cub who encounters Taka, a royal heir. Their meeting initiates an epic journey of self-discovery and destiny, featuring a group of misfit companions navigating the challenges of their world.
