Mufasa: The Lion King adds a series of new stories to the existing Lion King franchise, taking viewers back to the early days of Mufasa and Scar's relationship. The prequel adds depth to many characters fans have come to love – not just Mufasa and Scar, but also others like Timon and Pumbaa. Mufasa has a strong cast, with OldAaron Pierre and Elvis' Kelvin Harrison Jr. leading the lead roles of young Mufasa and Scar alongside other talented actors such as The ChiTiffany Boone and comedians Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner.
The previous credits of the creatives behind the film are also quite impressive. Director Barry Jenkins previously worked on projects such as If Beale Street Could Talk and winner of Best Film Moonlightand the film's songs are produced by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also helped create music for films such as Moana and Charm. Initial reviews of Mufasa: The Lion King were largely positive, with critics praising the film's original story and soundtrack.
Screen speech interviewed Lin-Manuel Miranda and Barry Jenkins to discuss the crafting of Mufasa's story, Miranda's songwriting inspirations, and what the recording process was like.
Lin-Manuel Miranda adapted many songs from Mufasa's dialogue
Grounding the main character's story, lyrical inspiration, and the film's biggest themes
Screen Rant: Barry, you mentioned the importance of grounding Mufasa's story. How did you balance the myth with The Lion King and introduce new, deeper elements into the story?
Barry Jenkins: Yeah, I think Lin and I were talking about the idea that Mufasa is perfect because he existed as this great sage and king, the voice of James Earl Jones, for 30 years, but no one is like that at age 15. , at seven years old, at five years old.
And so really just going back and, like you said, grounding his experiences – not that he's having this experience to the point of becoming a king, but to learn life lessons that we all have to learn as children, as teenagers, as young adults. Once we got to that point, working with screenwriter Jeff Nathanson, everything was planned.
Lin-Manuel, the music for this slap, I loved every song. You mentioned building songs from dialogue in the script, like “I Always Wanted a Brother.” Can you explain your creative process working on the songs?
Lin-Manuel Miranda: That's where the line of dialogue was so clear. I remember feeling so emotional when Taka said this in the film that I thought, “Well, there's your song – look no further. And using this as a way to get to know them and grow with them very quickly.
Another one is “Tell Me It's You,” which was a line of dialogue in the scene that Sarabi said to Mufasa, and I thought, “That's the best title for a K-Ci and JoJo song that doesn't exist yet. , but I'm going to write this one.” And even the first verse of “Milele,” most of that description of paradise actually started out as prose on the page that I was able to adapt. It was a very precise and focused script, so it gave me a lot of clues.
Barry, what were some of the thematic elements you wanted to explore with this group of misfits, especially in the context of family destiny and resilience?
Barry Jenkins: I think this idea of found family is something we talk about at the beginning of the film. We assume that Mufasa has a very particular lineage, a very particular family tree, and then in this film you learn that's not the case. And yet he had a family – no man, no woman, no person who becomes so great does so in isolation.
So it was about taking all these wonderful characters – Rafiki, Zazu, Sarabi – and not necessarily creating them to give Mufasa these experiences, but showing how he learned things from each of them along his journey. Because I feel like I've had the same experience in my life.
Aaron Pierre was nervous about taking on the titular role of Mufasa
Miranda cast collaboration, musical reflections and display of new sides of Africa in Mufasa
Lin, I loved the brothers song that Mufasa sings. Can you also talk about collaborating with these incredible actors, and were there any songs that didn't make it into the film that you wish had been made?
Lin-Manuel Miranda: Oh, that's interesting. Well, for the first part of your question, when I came on board, she was cast, so I thought, “Please know how to sing. Please know how to sing.” And he has some Broadway musicians, Anika Noni Rose and Keith David, who were Broadway legends, so it was really exciting to write for their voices.
So Aaron Pierre has an incredible instrument and he was very nervous. He said, “I only sang in church.” I was like, “Listen to how you talk, you’re going to be amazing.” So it was very exciting to hear them sing. My only regret is not writing a song for Billy Eichner, who has an incredible voice; I've known him since our early days off-Broadway. They were all amazing – Barry knocked it out of the park throwing this thing.
Speaking of casting, I want to talk a little about Aaron, because he's amazing as Mufasa. What did he bring to the role that wasn't on the page?
Barry Jenkins: It was interesting when you cast someone to play the younger version of James Earl Jones; that can be quite intimidating, but for me, Aaron, really embraced the idea that it's not about creating a performance that looks like it mathematically matches James Earl Jones in 1994. It's about being present, being honest, being authentic about the experiences that Mufasa is having and the present moment of the scene.
He really understood that, and when he did – because you start this film with voices like a radio play – you have complete freedom. You can create whatever you want. I think all actors – Aaron [Pierre]Seven [Rogen] and Billy [Eichner]especially Tiffany [Boone] and Kelvin [Harrison Jr.]they really had fun stretching, illustrating what these characters were going through. Interesting.
Lin-Manuel, I have to ask you: I'm a big fan of Percy Jackson. You're coming back like Hermes to Percy Jackson 2nd season? We are also WWE fans here. My second question is, if there was one professional wrestler you could write an entrance song for, who would that wrestler be?
Lin-Manuel Miranda: This is a good question. First of all, I don't think it's a spoiler to say yes, because he's in that book. I show up when Percy needs me in the new series, and I've already filmed that.
The second question is complicated. I like the heels more than the faces. I love Dom Mysterio. New day turned leap this week! I don't even know if you're up to date with your wrestling, but the day turned heel this week, but that one hurt. I would write a Dom Mysterio banger entrance track, but then again, they would boo. And that's the fun of it – if you're getting boos, it means you're doing your job right.
Back to Mufasa for a second, because I think there's something beautiful that we see in the snow and it's a different side of Africa that we don't see. Can you talk about wanting to use that specific location in the film?
Barry Jenkins: It wasn't an intellectual thing to want to show parts of Africa that we don't see. What we did was Mufasa got away from everything he knows, and it was a great opportunity to take this trip across the continent, to travel through different landscapes, different cultures and through the snow.
I will say that just seeing these animals in that environment there was something really beautiful about it. Furthermore, now to be calculated, I knew there was going to be this ballad written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, where could it take place? This beautiful ice cave with reflections and all the reflected voices, it was like, we have to do this.
More about Mufasa: The Lion King (2024)
Mufasa: The Lion King explores the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands. Rafiki tells the legend of Mufasa to the young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature style. Told in flashbacks, the story presents Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a friendly lion named Taka – the heir to a royal lineage. The chance encounter begins an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits in search of their destiny – their bonds will be tested as they work together to escape a threatening and deadly enemy.
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Source: Rant Plus Screen