Mufasa: The Lion King is an upcoming movie that takes us back to when Mufasa and Scar were brothers. The trailers for the movie have revealed that the animated film sheds light on Ahadi, Mufasa’s father. Fans will also witness how Mufasa came across Rafiki, Zazu, and Sarabi, and how he found his place in the Circle of Life. As per the trailer, we find some characters that seem immortal, given that they have been featured in almost all Lion King movies/TV series. Such characters include Timon and Pumbaa, Zazu, and Rafiki. Along with the storyline, fans are also wondering if Mufasa: The Lion King will break all records. So, in this article, we will address whether Mufasa: The Lion King movie will be a box office success.
The Weight of Legacy of Mufasa: The Lion King – Can It Break All Box Office Records?
Rotten Tomato Score of Previous Lion King Movies
As per Rotten Tomatoes, The Lion King (1994) scored the highest among all the Lion King movies released till now. The film holds a score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Hence, Mufasa: The Lion King movie should aim for a similar rating to break all records, a bar already set high. Simba’s Pride and The Lion King (2019) scored 67% and 51% on Rotten Tomatoes respectively. Hence, Mufasa: The Lion King movie should perform better than The Lion King (2019) to make a mark in the animation movies industry.
Highest Grossing Award and Revenue
While fans did not receive The Lion King (2019) movie well for reasons we shall discuss in the upcoming sections, we cannot deny that the movie was one of the most highly anticipated movies of its time. The Lion King (2019) is currently the second-highest-grossing animated movie of all time and the second-highest-grossing film of 2019. Moreover, the film banked $1.6 billion during its screening period. Hence, Mufasa: The Lion King, being a flag-bearer of the new era of Lion King movies, should surpass all records set by The Lion King (2019).
Will Mufasa The Lion King Break All Box Office Records
Mufasa: The Lion King is set for release on 20th December, 2024. Hence, it is too early to say with certainty whether the movie will break all records. This is because there are a few factors in play. So let’s take a look at some of these factors.
Skepticism Towards Photo-realistic CGI VS Animation
All the Lion King movies till 2019 were animated. The animation of The Lion King (1994) and Simba’s Pride were hand-drawn while the later movies used more advanced animation techniques. However, The Lion King (2019) took a different approach to animation. The animators of the movie incorporated photo-realistic CGI into the critically acclaimed movie of 2019. As a result, the characters in the movie looked real, and the vast savannah of Africa looked more alive. Before the movie’s release, fans across the world were highly excited to watch a photorealistic remake of the 1994 classic.
However, the movie The Lion King (2019) gave birth to skepticism regarding photorealistic CGI. This created a rift among the fans; one side praised the new CGI technique while the other side criticized the same. The criticism was on the photo-realistic CGI wiping out emotions from the characters’ faces. The backlash on the photorealistic-CGI approach to the movie has left fans skeptical about watching Mufasa: The Lion King since the earlier experience failed to resonate with them.
However, speaking from an animation perspective, the trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King looks very promising. The characters no longer look emotionally numb and robotic. Fans have pointed out that the feelings of the characters are properly fleshed out according to the trailer. Hence, there is potential for Mufasa: The Lion King to break all records.
Sequels/Prequels Cannot Outperform Predecessors (Generally)
It’s no news that sequels, prequels, and spin-offs generally do not live up to the standards set by the original film. Speaking from an animation perspective, we already know that Mufasa: The Lion King is heading in the same direction as The Lion King (2019). The movie makers are placing Mufasa: The Lion King in the same formula as the 2019 movie, while also using nostalgia as a tool. This might lead to a lack of creativity and innovation in storytelling and implementation. Want some examples? Well, there’s Matrix Reloaded, Revolutions, and Resurrections screwing up the OG Matrix movie, all the sequels of Fast and the Furious franchise, The Hobbit etc.
However, there are instances where the sequels and prequels brought just as much fame as the original movie, if not more. For example, The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, brought more fame to the Batman franchise than the original, Batman Begins, did. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back(1980) performed better than Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). Hence, while Mufasa: The Lion King cannot outperform The Lion King (1994), the movie can surely do as well as the 2019 entry. So let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Mufasa: The Lion King Movie Budget – An Indication of a movie breaking all box office records
Movie budget is another determining factor in predicting the success of an upcoming animated film. The budget of The Lion King (2019) ranged from $250–260 million. While the budget for Mufasa: The Lion King has not yet been disclosed, early screenings and the first 12 hours of sales indicate that the budget for the film is around the $900-$1 billion ballpark. We should also note that budget is not the only factor when determining the possible success of a movie or TV series. I mean, just look at the disaster that is The Rings of Power and Joker: Folie à Deux.
However, we can say with a guarantee that the movie’s quality will not affect its sales, at least for the initial 2 weeks. Everyone adores the Lion King franchise. Hence, they do not mind another movie added to the repertoire.