Everyone knows the story of Mufasa, the great, wise king, father of Simba, and protector of Pride Rock. We also know his story ends by the hands of his brother Scar, ushering in the rise of Mufasa’s son, Simba. Originally brought to life by the iconic James Earl Jones in 1994’s animated film and then again for the 2019 version, Mufasa represented the perfect father figure, role model, advisor, and leader. While the character is “everybody’s Dad”—a character audiences naturally gravitate to—he looms large in fans’ eyes. The character of Mufasa is long revered by audiences around the world, placed on a father pedestal. It turns out the road to Pride Rock was bumpy, with more ups and downs than anyone previously imagined. But we don’t know the whole story. In Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, the prequel to the beloved classic, audiences are taken to the origin stories of Mufasa and Scar to learn what really caused the demise of their brotherhood and how fate and destiny intertwined to cause Mufasa to be king instead of Scar.
Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
The film features an all-star roster of talent, including Aaron Pierre as Mufasa and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, a lion prince with a bright future who accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother. In casting the film, one of the things that was really important to director Barry Jenkins—especially involving a story that has its roots in Shakespeare—is that the actors all have dynamite performance voices to be able to convey genuine emotions just through their voices.
In celebration of Mufasa: The Lion King, The Koalition spoke to Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. to learn more about their portrayal of Mufasa and Taka (Scar), the evolution of their characters, and the brothers complicated relationship.
As a cub, Mufasa shows hints of the confident and courageous king he will one day become, but he’s faced with unimaginable tragedy early in his life that leaves him all alone—far away from his family and everything he’s ever known. Befriended by another lion cub, Mufasa finds brotherhood and, eventually, purpose when he’s once again thrust from his home, forced on a life-changing journey.
“My first experience of watching The Lion King was when I was about 3. It made a massive, lasting impression on me. I loved the music, the storyline, the characters, and their relationships; they were fascinating and relatable,” said Pierre. As an adult, he feels a deeper connection to the film. “I think the reason The Lion King has such an important place in our culture is because it was one of the earliest Disney films to really make a move in the direction of being representative with the music and with where the film was set,” he says. “It has very strong themes of family brotherhood and sisterhood—and I think that resonates with people on a human level no matter where you’re from.”
Pierre believes Mufasa: The Lion King—which is, among other things, the future king’s origin tale—honors and enriches the original film’s legacy. “In ‘Mufasa, we get to see Mufasa’s childhood, his adolescence, the formative experiences that contributed massively to his identity, his character, his moral compass, and what he stands for and represents. You get insight into his family life, his relationship with his brother, where that began before it got to the darker place we already know. I think that this contributes to and enhances his legacy and allows us to witness and understand how he became the Mufasa we know and love. And that’s really special.”
“I think something this movie does so well in regard to all of the characters, whether it be Taka, Mufasa, Sarabi, or whoever it might be, is it gives you a deeper insight; it gives you deeper context. When we first meet Mufasa, he is King; he is self-assured, he is confident, he is loved, he is celebrated, and he is wise, but getting to understand that he wasn’t just born with those qualities. He didn’t just arrive there; it was a long, painstaking journey to discover those qualities within himself, and many of those moments along that journey, he didn’t believe those were ever qualities that he could attain for himself. What’s so wonderful about this prequel is we get to see Mufasa; yes, we know him as King, but actually he was an orphan; he was separated from his family. He was dismissed, he was degraded, he was insulted, and he had to work and build himself up more or less on his own to get to where he finally ended up. We all already love Mufasa and James Earl Jones’s portrayal of him, which is beautiful, but I think this gives a deeper connection knowing he wasn’t just born into it,” said Pierre.
Unlike Mufasa, Taka is a lion from an esteemed royal bloodline. As a cub, he’s eager to please with an eye for those in need—particularly a lone lion cub named Mufasa who’s caught in a flash flood. The pair form a tight bond, joining forces when a band of powerful lions threatens Taka’s family and future. Their ultimate cross-country adventure reveals truths about both lions that will follow them into adulthood.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. was called on to play the character who would later be known as Scar. “Taka is a unique character in that he was promised a kingdom as his birthright, and his entire life is defined by this,” says Harrison. “He truly believes that acquiring this land and the title of prince of the tribe correlates with his worth and identity.”
One could say the actor was born to play the role—or maybe it’s just a coincidence that he was born in 1994, the year The Lion King opened in theaters for the first time. It would be a few years, of course, before he’d get to enjoy what became the best-selling film on home video. “I think my parents saved it because they knew I would love this movie,” Harrison Jr. says. “When I was 4 years old, I watched it, and it became my favorite movie. At first, the father-and-son relationship, and living the legacy that your parents established, really resonated with me. My father is Kelvin Harrison Sr., and there’s always the idea of being the next in line. I felt that with Simba, too. And the notion of community, the dynamic between all the friends and relatives from the Pride Lands rallying around Simba to support him. It’s a real family story.”
The life lessons woven into the fabric of the story also spoke to Harrison. “The deep philosophy and meaning of the circle of life is an important touchstone,” he says. “What I love is that both parents and kids relate to it in their own way, and it’s something that can be revisited and experienced in different ways throughout your life.” In Mufasa: The Lion King, Harrison takes on a complicated character, Taka, who begins as Mufasa’s friend and champion but struggles to temper his fears, jealousies, and insecurities. It’s no secret he’s destined to become the infamous villain known as Scar, but his journey is complex.
“There is this eagerness to please, but at the same time, there’s a lot of insecurity because you come from a family where maybe there isn’t the nurture that’s building you up to believing yourself in the ways that you want to, and there’s your brother, your peer, who is thriving in a lot of ways but not necessarily possessing all the qualities of confidence. So, there’s this wanting to prove yourself but not knowing if you deserve to even be in the space to speak on it. I think that’s the kind of balance Barry Jenkins was trying to seek in the portrayal of him. It was just leaning into it and trying to perform the role of the entitled space that you believe you should be in and then apologizing. Finding that in the voice work was the key.”
Editor Joi McMillon, ACE, worked with Jenkins to create early reels of the film using voice recordings and storyboards. The resulting roadmap informed animators, cinematographers, and the rest of the team as the film came together. McMillon continued to refine it as production/postproduction progressed. They started to dig in and try to figure out what each scene and sequence are about based on the script and everything that has been shot. As the cast and scenes progressed, McMillon went through the material, refining and replacing scenes. The early cut was the backbone of her edit, and this nuanced incremental progression formed a relationship between sound and picture. Temp recordings that delivered a line with humor, but when they received the actual voice record from the actor, the delivery may have been more sober, more impactful, with layers of meaning. And animation would feel that, too, and perhaps change the expression so it was more thoughtful or contemplative. There were so many different iterations of a scene over three or four months.
When it came to finding Mufasa’s voice, “It was definitely something where we were guided by our phenomenal director, the great Barry Jenkins. We were guided by the music by the great Lin Manuel-Miranda, and we really were guided by the script as well. We just did our best to serve the script. I think naturally elements of yourself will find their way into a character because you are all you have to draw from in a certain context, but definitely led by the script, the filmmakers, and those individuals you’re collaborating with,” said Pierre.
“I would agree,” Harrison Jr. added. “Sometimes, awe saw in the trailer they’re jumping off of a waterfall, and I was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t really register that when I was reading it,’ but then Barry would be like, ‘Oh, can you do it like this, and can you do it where you’re hanging on a log, and can you do it where you’re gasping for air?’ and it kind of changes, especially when you’re doing it. I did an American accent; I did an English accent, and we’re also aging down these iconic portrayals of these characters. Physicality was a big part of it, even though we were limited, and we weren’t actually jumping off a waterfall. Unfortunately, this is not a Tom Cruise movie, even though Tom Cruise would have requested a real-life waterfall even in the animation. We’re not there yet, maybe in a few years, but till then, just voice work, breath control, and playfulness.”
To learn more about Mufasa: The Lion King, check out our full interview in the video above. The movie will release in theaters on December 20th. While the songs-only and deluxe versions of Mufasa: The Lion King’s original motion picture soundtrack will release on December 13th.
