Coming up with a prequel to Jon Favreau’s 2019 live-action The Lion King, Barry Jenkins dropped the trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King, slated to release by the end of this year. But unfortunately, it seems the filmmaker isn’t necessarily feeling the love from social media commenters, as people began calling the project soulless and showered the trailer with skepticism.
Withstanding backlash and negative comments since April 29, 2024, after Disney released the preview of what Mufasa: The Lion King has in store, Barry Jenkins came up with a revamped new trailer for the film on August 10. However, despite his efforts, even the new video got slammed by netizens over audio issues.
Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King Trailer Faced Extreme Criticism
Following the success of the 1994 animated movie The Lion King, and its 2019 live-action adaptation from Jon Favreau, Disney came up with a prequel to explain the origin story of Mufasa, the lion patriarch. Helmed by Barry Jenkins, Mufasa: The Lion King became the talk of the town until Disney finally dropped the trailer for the film on April 29.
Unfortunately, after screening the footage for Mufasa: The Lion King at CinemaCon, the trailer made its way online through both official and fan sources, where it was greeted with both favorable and negative responses. While mostly the criticisms stem from the backlash to Disney’s trend of reimagining its previous animation hits, other reasons included the lack of realistic features, unlike the 2019 photorealistic remake.
Although Barry Jenkins tried easing the situation by addressing the criticisms and negativity surrounding his upcoming movie, as the filmmaker failed, Disney came up with a revamped trailer on August 10. In an attempt to meet people’s expectations, while the studio released the new trailer via X, Mufasa: The Lion King once again got slammed by netizens.
This time, alongside the previous issues — lack of realistic imageries and criticism surrounding Disney CEO Bob Iger’s soulless machine churning prequels and spinoffs, fans simultaneously slammed the new trailer for its issues with audio. Claiming that the voiceover sounds inconsistent and filled with cuts and stitches, people expressed sheer disappointment over the upcoming project.
Mufasa: The Lion King Faces High Expectations After Jon Favreau’s 2019 Success
Considering the repeated criticism surrounding Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King trailer, there seems to be a high possibility for the film to face the daunting challenge of living up to the monumental success of Jon Favreau’s 2019 live-action remake. Despite its attempt to dive into the early years of the eventual ruler of Pride Rock, as well as his menacing younger brother Scar, Jenkins’ movie seemingly awaits substantial pressure.
While previously, Jon Favreau‘s The Lion King turned out to be a visual spectacle, blending cutting-edge CGI with the timeless story of the original, the upcoming movie seems to fall short of the major milestones set by the 2019 remake. Considering how Favreau’s film was praised for its stunning realism, faithful recreation of the classic scenes, and the nostalgia it evoked, Mufasa: The Lion King seems to feel the pressure of living up to that legacy.
Grossing over $1.6B (via The Numbers) at the global box office, Jon Favreau’s The Lion King set a high bar for any subsequent projects in the franchise. So it seems that Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King will have to balance new content with the familiar elements to meet audiences’ expectations, in order to earn even close to what the 2019 remake accumulated.
It seems the upcoming movie’s success will hinge on several factors. First, it will need to offer a fresh and engaging narrative that adds value to the Lion King universe. Additionally, the film will need to meet high visual and emotional standards set by the predecessor to captivate both new and returning audiences. As the release date approaches, expectations rise about how Mufasa: The Lion King will contribute to the story’s rich tapestry.
The Lion King movies are available on Disney+.
Mufasa: The Lion King will hit theaters on 20 December 2024.
