Mufasa Proves Disney Often Ignores the Key to Making Successful Live-Action “Remakes”

It's already common knowledge that Disney is the king of live-action remakes, but their newest film, Mufasa: The Lion Kingproves that one important element makes some live-action films better than others. Launched in December 2024, Mufasa: The Lion King is a live action prequel which follows The Lion King Mufasa in his youth, alongside his adopted brother, Scar, now known as Taka. In just one week, the film has already grossed $221 million at the box office and received an optimistic 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it an overall success.

Disney has been producing live-action remakes of its most successful films since 2010, with varying degrees of success. 2019 The Lion King is Disney's highest-grossing live-action remake film with a staggering $1.7 billion to his name. In 2017, Beauty and the beast it also broke the billion-dollar barrier, raising $1.3 billion. However, Disney's other live-action remakes haven't performed as well. More recently, The Little Mermaid The live-action remake only grossed $569 million. Happily, Mufasa revealed a potential key to making every live-action Disney film at least a little better.

Mufasa is an original story within the live-action “Remakes” brand

How Mufasa Reshapes The Lion King Story

Although Mufasa isn't technically a remake, it still falls under Disney's brand of “live-action” remakes. The film takes elements of an old story and reshapes it in an entirely new way, continuing the tradition of 2019The Lion King redo. In reality, this is what it does Mufasa so exciting, especially compared to other Disney remakes. Different The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the beast, the public entered Mufasa not knowing what to expect. Although they know Mufasa's fate, they get to see a new side of the character (and others) that Disney has never explored before.

Mufasa is a particularly interesting project to analyze because it draws the line between the new and the familiar. While the film sees the return of characters audiences know and love, from Zazu to Timon and Pumbaa, it also transforms these characters in new ways. Taka isn't necessarily the villain viewers expect, and Mufasa may not be as majestic as he was in The Lion King. Most importantly, however, Mufasa has its own independent story, separate from The Lion King. Mufasa It benefits from being fresh and surprising.

Disney's live-action remakes are better when they're original

Disney's Has a Chance to Expand Beloved Stories

The biggest lesson from Mufasa and that Disney should move forward with more original live-action films. Although Mufasa has not yet proven to be exceptionally profitable, its emerging success highlights a trend among Disney films. As much as audiences love seeing their favorite animated classics come to life, they also enjoy getting a look at a familiar story. For example, Cruella did very well in 2021, despite having few ties to the original 101 Dalmatians. Maleficent is another Disney live-action film that put a new spin on an old story and was successful.

Disney has such a long resume of great stories that they could use beyond simple remakes. With time and reflection, the company now has the chance to make its stories even better by investigating its different sides. Villain origin stories, prequels, and sequels are strong ways to bring a story back to life without beating a dead horse. The Little Mermaid I even tried to do this with a more in-depth look at Eric's kingdom, although I could have gone even further, and should do so in the future.

Disney's problem with live-action remakes is impossible to avoid

Disney can still renew old stories

Of course, making more original live-action films is easier said than done. Now that Disney has committed to remaking its animated films, audiences hope the initial film will receive a live-action adaptation before an original live-action film can be releasedlike this Mufasa came after the live action The Lion King. Although Cruella and Maleficent left without 101 Dalmatians or Sleeping Beauty getting live-action movies is a risky move and could end up hurting the originals more than anything. Therefore, Disney must keep its promises, even if it hurts them.

Even so, Disney still has the opportunity to do new things with its live-action remakes, and it should. The company is already making progress in casting actors who are the appropriate race and age for their characters. Furthermore, films like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid proved that additions can be made and make a film better. Therefore, Disney's ultimate goal with its live-action remakes should be to make its original stories even better and establish a world that can be expanded in multiple directions.

More Disney Live-Action “Remakes” Need to Be Like Mufasa

Disney's Live-Action Future Explained

In the end, Disney needs to take a page out of its own book. The company has a number of new films on the horizon, from new animated films to live-action remakes. However, no matter what they are doing, Disney should prioritize originality above all else. As Mufasa, Future Disney films should build on their original concepts, not just repeat them. Audiences need to first see why these films are being remade. Therefore, new songs, new scenes and new ideas should be welcome in Disney's future.

Disney has some big projects coming up. In terms of live-action remakes, 2025 will see Snow White and Lilo and Stitch, while 2026 will see a live action Moana. Some sequels are also happening, including Toy Story 5, Zootopia 2, and Craziest Friday. More, Elio will be Disney's big animated film of 2025. Hopefully, Disney can infuse all of these upcoming films with Mufasa's feeling of newness, which will keep viewers invested. It's no surprise that Disney has stayed in business for so long, but the company must also refine its recipe if it wants to impress audiences.