The D23 Expo 2022, held in Anaheim, California, nearly brought fans a flood of movie information. New movies were announced and more details were revealed about upcoming releases. One of many new movie announcements included Mufasa: The Lion King. Rumors about the film had been circulating for a while, but most of the details were vague and obscure. The D23 Expo provided fans with much-needed clarity. However, the manner in which the clarity given has been received is open to debate.
As far as we know, award-winning director Barry Jenkins will direct the production. The limited preview footage shown at the expo indicated that the film would be in a live-action format. The information came to fans who had been eagerly awaiting a prequel to one of Disney’s foundational films for quite some time. Reactions have been mixed, however, with some not being too optimistic about the upcoming film. Many soon took to Twitter to express their views.
Disney fans’ excitement for Mufasa
Given Disney’s generations-long reputation and the quality of most of the work they’ve produced, many fans were thrilled with the official announcement of mufasa. Of The lionking the relationship between Mufasa and Scar was a feature film in many childhood and was always a point of intrigue for viewers. Mufasa: The Lion King will hopefully provide answers to some of the questions that have remained shrouded in mystery.
As user @LolitaContinua wrote, there are high hopes for what the film can reveal.
“Finally to know how Scar got his scar, what his original name was before the scar was (some say Taka, some say Askari), why the hyenas were so afraid of Mufasa and not all the other lions, how Timon and Pumba are friends became friends and how Rafiki became friends with the Pride.”
Excitement for the release of mufasa also came with hopes that the film would get a theatrical release. User @CoolSteve1985 expressed their feelings and said:
“I can not wait! I hope this movie goes to the cinema. I hate how most movies come out on streaming platforms these days. The cinemas also need films to make money.”
Outright rejection of the prequel
Despite positive feedback from some fans, others weren’t too happy with the announcement. Many did not see the point of Disney making another film derived from The lionking and felt that the story had been overused to make the plot even more unique. Since the first lion king film hit the screen in 1994, the question fans have about how much more can be taken out of the story is justified.
@andysignore took to Twitter to say:
“No thanks… #Mufasa is another pointless Disney money grab. I’m proud to say I’ve never seen The Lion King from 2019… I’ve seen it 100 times, done better, all the way since 1994. Someone sent me a clip of the “real animals” singing 😬 Yikes.”
Fans also quickly realized how repetitive the franchise has become, despite the different points of view taken when approaching it. Expressing feelings along these lines, @de_stuben wrote:
“I will never understand why this movie is being released, like, why!!! It wasn’t a movie that anyone needed, it’s just inferior and at the same time SAME EXACT MOVIE, beat for beat, word for word.”
Opposition to Disney’s Live-Action Approach
Significant negativity towards the announcement also stemmed from the fact that the film was going to be a live-action movie. Fans strongly opposed Disney’s decision to produce the film in a live-action format. They centered their arguments on the fact that dismissing animation also took away the connection viewers felt with the characters in the film.
@SylvanasMedusa voicing their thoughts on the downsides of adopting a live-action approach to mufasa, said:
“Disney, please learn from your mistakes with the latest live-action Lion King movie. And listen to your viewers. By literally taking 99% of the expressionism in the animals to give them more “realism”, their relatability took away. way and how we connected with the characters.”
Fans also indicated that they would have been more favorable to the film if it had been a 2-D animation. @ALTKeyPro wrote that if the prequel had been animated, they “may have given it a shot.” However, the fact that the movie is going to be a live action made the movie a “pass” for them. The sentiments of @ALTKeyPro are shared by many Disney fans who believe that the lion king movies should just stick to their original animated format.
Defense Amid Criticism
Despite the mounting criticism, the defense of Disney and the film also emerged as a rose among the thorns. User @sunnfl0wr championed the live-action approach and praised Disney for trying to pull off an original production.
“Yes, WE need more Lion King movies. And no they didn’t ruin it by making a live action. To each their own, but personally I love Disney’s live action movies and that they don’t make an absolute copy of the original every time. Please never stop with Disney😁”
Fans’ thoughts on Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King clearly take many forms. Both support and criticism coexist. Since the film will not be released until 2024, an exact judgment can not yet be given about the film. While it’s a challenging path to please fans, director Barry Jenkins may be giving us something we weren’t expecting. Time will tell.