‘The Lion King‘ is a movie we have all grown up watching – the story of a Lion that changed our lives forever. Disney is now expanding the universe of this beloved franchise with the highly anticipated prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King. The entertainment giant recently dropped the first trailer for the animated film. Academy Award-winning director Barry Jenkins has directed the prequel which charts young Mufasa’s journey to rise to power.

The Moonlight director imagines the journey of Simba’s father and how he achieves power. The trailer begins with the sprawling setting of the forest where the animal kingdom resides in harmony. It gives a glimpse of the adventures of Mufasa and the friends he makes along the way, that shape his journey. Mufasa: The Lion King‘s cast includes John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, and Blue Ivy as Kiara.

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The Story

Mufasa: The Lion King has Rafiki narrating the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Going back in time, 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.

With this chance meeting, starts 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. The long-awaited movie will hit the theatres on December 20, 2024.

Mufasa: The Lion King movie prequel Simba Nala Rafiki Kiara Timon Pumbaa Disney teaser trailer reactions

Internet Reacts

Netizens seem to be loving the ‘Mufasa: The Lion King‘ trailer. The nostalgic factor of the original movie also plays a key role in driving excitement for this prequel. Reacting to the trailer, a fan wrote: “This looks quite impressive and promising than its predecessor…” Another commented, “Hopefully, with Barry Jenkins directing this, it will be something special.”

This little girl is a MOOD. We’re going to be the same way in the theatre! A netizen wrote, “I guess from this trailer we see where Simba got his adventurous vibe from. I thought he was just curious but now it feels like he got it from his father.” “Ohh God That Sound Design and mixing 🥵🥵,” squealed a fan.

We totally agree. A fan said “I’m actually surprised. The environments look more beautiful and more colorful and the animals have more expression and life into them. I’m pretty excited.” And the memes came in too.

It is definitely exciting to watch this mother-daughter duo play a mother-daughter duo in ‘Mufasa: The Lion King!”

The fans are excited and how! “THIS IS JUST WOW! Disney’s big screen experience MUFASA: THE LION KING is all set to release on 20th December….check out the teaser which is just spectacular! A world unlike any other…Mark your calendars!- 20th December it is! 🦁” wrote an X user.

“It is wonderful to once again see South African talent feature in top international film productions. I look forward to hearing the distinctly South African sound and watching Dr @KANI_ELDER, @ThusoMbedu and @KagisoLediga in #MufasaTheLionKing” wrote an X user. While some people don’t seem on board with the idea of Barry Jenkins directing this iconic movie, many have also come out in his support.

We feel almost everyone who has grown up watching ‘The Lion King’ is waiting for this movie to drop with bated breaths. We all wish to relive our childhood through a young Mufasa this time. How excited are you for the movie? How did you like this first teaser trailer for ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’?