The Lion King Is Getting A Follow-Up From Moonlight Director Barry Jenkins

The recent Lion King film gets a follow-up in the form of a prequel.

While many film fans complain about Disney constantly going back to create live-action adaptations of their animated classics, there’s no doubt they are worthy investments. Most have grossed a metric ton of money, and The Lion King stands as one of the most successful. While it is still one of the least inspired takes, the Jon Favreau-directed flick grossed $1.65 billion worldwide. Many wondered whether or not the photo-realistic CG flick would get a sequel.

It has now been confirmed that it won’t get a sequel, but a prequel…sort of. So, while most other outlets are pinging this as a prequel, Deadline seems to indicate it will be a bit more complex with that. In the vein of movies like Th Godfather: Part II, this Lion King follow-up from screenwriter Jeff Nathanson will move the story forward while further exploring the origins of Mufasa. It’s a very interesting approach and one that excites me quite a bit.

What’s more is that Favreau will not be returning to the helm. In his place will be Barry Jenkins, who most notably directed the Oscar-winning Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk. Jenkins will continue using the groundbreaking technology that Jon Favreau helped pioneer in the 2019 film. So, yes, expect all kinds of realistic-looking lions in the very near future.

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“Helping my sister raise two young boys during the ’90s, I grew up with these characters,” Jenkins said in a statement. “Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true.”

This is admittedly pretty exciting. I was one of many who were disappointed with the recent Lion King remake, but it was mostly due to how much of a retread it was. With this sequel/prequel, it sounds like we will finally be getting an original story. I’m curious if they will be taking cues from the animated sequel Simba’s Pride, which I pretty much hated. Given the lower caliber of a film it was, I seriously doubt they’ll dip back in there for inspiration, but you never know.

Does the idea of a Lion King follow-up excite you? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Deadline

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