Disney wants to turn ‘The Lion King’ into a franchise “in the style of ‘Star Wars'”

Disney’s relationship with its franchises seems endless. Something that should not surprise us due to the fact that the study is a multinational company and what some of its products generate economically. This is the case, for example, of The Lion King. The Shakespearean story of the cycle of life had its live action in 2019 that generated more than $1.6 billion Worldwide. Some benefits that made it the 9th highest grossing film in the history of the seventh art. Given these results, it is not surprising that Sean Bailey, one of the company’s executive directors, wants to continue exploring this animal universe. as if it were the saga Star Wars.

“There is plenty of room to run if we can find the stories”Bailey told the The New York Times. While the executive kept mum on any specific details, these words could signify a much broader foray into film and television, much like the original George Lucas creation has made of late. The story of “a galaxy far, far away” has been expanding steadily since the house of the mouse bought Lucasfilm in 2012.

At the moment, we know that there is a movie on the horizon of the cycle of life. Mufasa: The Lion Kinga prequel live action that will explore the origins of Simba’s father and the relationship with his brother Scar. The project will be directed by Barry Jenkins, the filmmaker who won an Oscar for Moonlight. It will be the first time that James Earl Jones does not offer his voice to the king of the jungle, since the character will be a much younger version played by Aaron Pierre. Kelvin Harrison Jr. will play Mufasa’s brother, while que Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner and John Kani they are ready to return to their roles as Pumbaa, Timon and Rafiki.

Beyond wanting to turn the film into a saga, this need to continue exploring the stories of their worlds has to do with the success that Disney is obtaining with all the live action of his classic animated films. From the jungle book (2016) to the most recent, The little Mermaid by Rob Marshall that has already surpassed the barrier of 300 million dollars raised at the worldwide box office. Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled to hit theaters on August 9, 2024.