It is common knowledge by now that Disney is the king of live-action remakes, yet their newest movie, Mufasa: The Lion King, proves that one important element makes some live-action movies better than others. Released in December 2024, Mufasa: The Lion King is a live-action prequel that follows The Lion King's Mufasa in his youth, alongside his adopted brother, Scar, now known as Taka. In just a week, the movie has already grossed $221 million at the box office, and has received an optimistic 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it generally successful.
Disney has been producing live-action remakes of their most successful movies since the 2010s to varying degrees of success. 2019's The Lion King is Disney's highest-grossing live-action remake film with an impressive $1.7 billion to its name. In 2017, Beauty and the Beast also broke the billion dollar barrier, raking in $1.3 billion. However, other live-action Disney remakes haven't done as well. Most recently, The Little Mermaid live-action remake only grossed $569 million. Fortunately, Mufasa has revealed a potential key to making every live-action Disney movie at least a little bit better.
Mufasa Is An Original Story Within The Live-Action "Remakes" Brand
How Mufasa Reworks The Lion King Story
Although Mufasa is not technically a remake, it still falls under Disney's brand of "live-action" remakes. The movie uses elements of an old story and reshapes it in a totally new way, carrying on the tradition of 2019'sThe Lion King remake. In reality, this is what makes Mufasa so exciting, especially in comparison to other Disney remakes. Unlike The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast, audiences have gone into Mufasa not knowing what to expect. Although they know Mufasa's fate, they are able to see a new side of the character (and others) that Disney has never explored before.
Find out who voices Mufasa and the rest of the pack in the 2024 Lion King prequel.
Mufasa is a particularly interesting project to analyze because it toes the line between the new and the familiar. While the movie sees the return of characters that audiences know and love, from Zazu to Timon and Pumba, it also transforms these characters in new ways. Taka is not necessarily the villain that viewers might be expecting, and Mufasa may not be as regal as he is in The Lion King. Most importantly though, Mufasa has its own independent story, separate from The Lion King. Mufasa benefits from being fresh and surprising.
Live-Action Disney Remakes Are Best When They're Original
Disney's Has The Chance To Expand On Beloved Stories
The biggest takeaway from Mufasa is that Disney should move forward with more original live-action films. Although Mufasa hasn't proven itself to be exceptionally profitable yet, its budding success highlights a trend among Disney movies. As much as audiences love to see their favorite animated classics come to life, they also enjoy a spin on a familiar story. For example, Cruella did quite well in 2021, despite having few ties to the original 101 Dalmations. Maleficent is another live-action Disney movie that put a new take on an old story and succeeded.
Disney has such a long resume of great stories that they could be taking advantage of beyond just simple remakes.
Disney has such a long resume of great stories that they could be taking advantage of beyond just simple remakes. With time and reflection, the company now has the chance to make their stories even better by delving into different sides of them. Villain origin stories, prequels, and sequels are all strong ways to bring a story back to life without beating a dead horse. The Little Mermaid even tried to do this with a more in-depth look at Eric's kingdom, though it could have gone even farther, and should do so in the future.
Disney's Problem With Live-Action Remakes Is Impossible To Avoid
Disney Could Still Renew Old Stories
Courtesy of Disney
Of course, making more original live-action films is easier said than done. Now that Disney has committed themselves to remaking their animated movies, audiences will be expecting the initial movie to get a live-action adaptation before an original live-action movie can be released, just like how Mufasa came after the live-action The Lion King. Although Cruella and Maleficent came out without 101 Dalmations or Sleeping Beauty getting live-action movies, this is a risky move, and could end up hurting the originals more than anything. Thus, Disney must keep their promises, even if it hurts them.
Even then, Disney still has an opportunity to do new things with its live-action remakes, and they should. Already, the company is making strides to cast actors who are the appropriate race and age for their given character. Additionally, movies like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid have proven that additions can be made and make a movie better. In this way, 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 various directions.
More Live-Action Disney "Remakes" Need To Be Like Mufasa
Disney's Live-Action Future Explained
In the end, Disney needs to take a page from its own book. The company has a number of new movies on the horizon, ranging from new animated features to live-action remakes. However, no matter what it is they're making, Disney should prioritize originality over everything else. Like Mufasa, Disney's future movies should build on their original concepts, not just repeat them. Audiences need to see why these movies are being remade in the first place. So, new songs, new scenes, and new ideas should all be welcome in Disney's future.
Say what you will about Disney's numerous live-action remakes, but these characters were perfectly cast in both remade and original live-action films.
Disney has a few big projects coming up. In terms of live-action remakes, 2025 will see Snow Whiteand Lilo & Stitch, while 2026 will see a live-action Moana. A few sequels are also happening, including Toy Story 5, Zootopia 2, and Freakier Friday. Plus, Elio will be Disney's big animated film in 2025. Hopefully, Disney can infuse all of these upcoming films with Mufasa's sense of newness, which will keep viewers invested. It is 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.
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Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to the live-action remake of the original Disney animated film, The Lion King. The film will follow Mufasa in his early days; further plot details are currently under wraps. The film will likely explore Mufasa and Scar's relationship and how it became as strained as it did. In the film, Timon and Pumba will return, with Billy Eicher and Seth Rogen reprising their roles.
Release Date
December 20, 2024
Runtime
118 Minutes
Director
Barry Jenkins
Writers
Jeff Nathanson
, Linda Woolverton
, Irene Mecchi
, Jonathan Roberts
Courtesy of Disney
English (US) ·