Pierre voices the titular character Mufasa, while Harrison takes on the voice of Taka and Beyoncé is back as Nala. Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, and Blue Ivy Carter round out the cast with Blue making her feature film debut (the 12-year-old just walked the red carpet at the film’s premiere with mom Bey).
Mufasa: The Lion King is the perfect film for Black families to see this holiday season, according to Jenkins, who spoke at a press conference. The director said that he previously “assumed so many things about how one becomes a king” and that Mufasa “knew everything and came from the perfect circumstances.”
“It was really cool to read Jeff’s script and see all these things that we’ve concretized over 30 years about how someone becomes the perfect father, the perfect leader. That my assumptions of what that path was were just totally not correct,” Jenkins said. “That there was a different way that I could actually relate to more as someone who grew up far outside the path, or the system, that leads you to become a great leader.”
“In that sense, I found myself closer to Mufasa,” he continued. “I realized audiences would find themselves closer as well, if we did our job, cast the right person and persons, and just leaned in and tried to really build a life that people could see themselves in. They could really, truly love bringing all these added levels of complexity to Mufasa.”
Pierre added that audiences who watched the original 1994 film will recognize similarities between his performance and that of James Earl Jones. Jones, an EGOT winner and legend in the Black Hollywood community, passed away in September at the age of 93.
“I think, at least for me — and I think this is a shared thing — my introduction to James Earl Jones’s original portrayal of Mufasa, it just felt like his voice was so warm,” Pierre explained.
“It was so comforting. It was full of strength, clarity, and I think that’s what I connected to the first time that I ever engaged with it. I think the reason the character is so beloved is because he radiated an essence of love and togetherness and unity. I think we all crave that in our own respective lives and in our own personal communities, and in our global community.”
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Harrison’s Taka differs from the original film’s Scar in that he is joyful and giving. Taka is trying to learn how to be a leader without a good example to look up to. This upbringing contributes to the character’s villainous arc, Harrison said, and it’s something many audience members can relate to.
“I think it is a nice opportunity for people to kind of peel back the curtain a little bit and reassess that original first interaction with Scar. I mean, no one’s born a villain, you know what I mean?” the actor shared. “Anybody who’s really angry is probably really hurt at some point. And so, I like the fact that everyone’s having the dialogue and probably going to examine themselves a little bit too.”
Ultimately, Jenkins wants Mufasa: The Lion King to be an example of how Black audiences can “show their full selves.”
“I saw all of this clarity — clarity of purpose and honesty of emotion,” the director said about making the movie. “Whether you are a 4-year-old or 104-year-old, there’s something in the Lion King for you.”
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