Following the huge success of the 2019 remake of The Lion King, a prequel is now on its way titled Mufasa: The Lion King with Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins helming the new installment this time around.
So far, the details remain under wraps about the highly-anticipated prequel to Disney's highest-grossing remake to date, but we know that it will explore Mufasa's younger years and his brotherhood with Scar before their rivalry.
The storyline of the upcoming film is new to The Lion King lore as it was never explored in either the original film or the direct-to-video sequels that were released and it is definitely an expansion of the remake.
Disney Plans to Expand The Lion King Into a "Big, Epic Saga"
Speaking recently with The New York Times, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production President Sean Bailey briefly shared his plans with The Lion King where he teased that they might expand it into "a big, epic saga" like the Star Wars franchise.
"There’s a lot of room to run if we can find the stories," he said.
Bailey did not reveal more details about their plans on potentially expanding The Lion King franchise, but it does suggest that the upcoming prequel won't be the last time that we will see its photorealistic world.
Given that we've seen the property get expanded before in direct-to-video sequels and an animated series in the '90s that focused on Timon and Pumbaa, you can definitely argue that The Lion King could end up becoming an epic saga.
However, as we've seen in the franchises that studios mine in the past several years, there is a threat that it could be overdone and the intention of cash-grabbing will end up becoming more obvious.
We can also fairly say that it could end up doing well if the stories that they will come up with are as good as the original and warrants the need to expand the property whether it's a Timon and Pumbaa spinoff, a Zazu solo story, or following up the events of the first film.
For now, let's just wait and see whether it will all end up happening as it is still in the early stages and the reception of the prequel will definitely be a factor in the franchise's future.
Also Read: The Little Mermaid Director Explains the Exclusion of One Key Character
Mufasa: The Lion King is slated to release in theaters on July 5, 2024. You can check more details about it here.
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