Mufasa: The Lion King, the CG prequel to the 2019 remake of The Lion King will now be released in theatres on July 5, 2024.

The announcement of the official release date comes soon after Barry Jenkins, who will be taking over from Jon Favreau as the director for the prequel film. The prequel story will follow Mufasa and Taka, his brother that would go on to be known as Scar, as it explores the former's rise to his reign as king.

The prequel was first reported in 2021, when Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. were announced as the leading roles of Mufasa and Taka, respectively. The story will reportedly be told through the lens of Timon, Pumbaa, and Rafiki as Simba, now the King, wishes to learn about his father's past and continue his legacy. It has not been announced if Billy Eichner, Seth Rogan, and John Kani will be reprising their roles in the 2019 film. Currently, outside of Pierre, and Harrison Jr., there is no word on additional casting for the upcoming film.

Jeff Nathanson, the screenwriter who penned the 2019 screenplay for the previous computer-generated adaptation of The Lion King, once again returns to write the script for Mufasa: The Lion King. Nathanson will also serve as a producer on the project.