Mufasa: The Lion King crosses $500 million at global box office

Disney's Mufasa: The Lion King has roared past the $500 million at the global box office. The film is now the ninth global release of 2024 and has earned $539.7 million till now which includes $350.9 million from the international box office. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, the film is photorealistically animated and serves as both a prequel and sequel to The Lion King (2019), the remake of the 1994 animated film of the same name.

Upon release on December 20, the film received positive reviews from audience and critics. Our CE review of the film read, "In its entirety, the film fails to realise its full potential due to a lack of depth in Mufasa's emotional struggles. Mufasa loses his family, and then he quickly finds another family, where he finds comfort; he migrates again, not knowing what awaits him and he finds a comfortable companion in Sarabi (Tiffany Boone). Mufasa doesn't get enough time to grieve, which fails to make us empathise with him."

While Aaron Pierre lent his voice for the younger version of Mufasa while Kelvin Harrison Jr voices Scar. Others who are part of the cast include Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani as Pumbaa, Timon and Rafiki respectively.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reprises her role as Nala, while her daughter Blue Ivy Carter voices Kiara, the daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala. New cast members who joined the tribe include Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki, Preston Nyman as Zazu, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, Thandiwe Newton as Taka’s mother Eshe, Lennie James as Taka’s father Obasi, Anika Noni Rose as Mufasa’s mother Afia, and Keith David as Mufasa’s father Masego.

Jeff Nathanson, the screenwriter who penned the 2019 screenplay for the previous computer-generated adaptation of The Lion King, is the scriptwriter for Mufasa: The Lion King as well. The film has original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.