'Mufasa' Faces Mixed Reviews, Much Lower Box Office Outlook ...
“Mufasa: The Lion King,” which serves as both a sequel and a prequel to the 2019 CGI-animated “The Lion King” remake, is facing mixed reviews from critics for some of the same reasons as its predecessor—but looks to perform even worse at the box office, with its opening weekend projections falling short of what “The Lion King” grossed in its first day.
Director Barry Jenkins at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King." (Photo by Lisa O'CONNOR / AFP) ... [+] (Photo by LISA O'CONNOR/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images Key Facts“Mufasa: The Lion King” opens in theaters Friday, but critics’ reviews have already poured in, leaving the film with a “rotten” 59% score on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly better than “The Lion King” (2019), which earned a 51% score.
The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes for “Mufasa” says the “impersonal, photorealistic animation style” is “ill-suited” to tell the film’s story, a similar critique to “The Lion King” (2019), which faced criticism because its animated lions appeared emotionless.
“Mufasa” also has a middling box office outlook and may gross $50 million this weekend against its $200 million budget, Variety and Deadline reported, likely losing the weekend to “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” in North American theaters, which may gross up to $60 million.
Projections are down from when Deadline forecasted in November “Mufasa” would gross $66 million in its opening weekend, and just two weeks ago, Variety predicted “Mufasa” would lead “the stampede of films aiming for end-of-year glory,” dismissing “Sonic” because it “hasn’t done anywhere close to Disney family-favorite numbers.”
“Mufasa” looks to gross significantly less than its predecessor: “The Lion King” grossed more than $78 million on its first day in North American theaters, ending its opening weekend with nearly $200 million and its theatrical run with more than $1.6 billion.
BBC critic Nicholas Barber slammed “Mufasa” as “pointless” and a “contrived cash-in,” calling the film “visually monotonous” with CGI-animated lions even “less naturalistic and less characterful” than the 2019 “Lion King” film. IndieWire critic Alison Foreman similarly said the visuals are “messy” and “buckle under the strain of such an untamed narrative,” calling the screenplay “contrived” with “poorly justified plot points.” Irish Times critic Donald Clarke compared it to a nature documentary, stating the film has “little character, no visible emotion, just endless show-offy technical competence.” In a more positive review, The Hollywood Reporter critic Lovia Gyarkye said the lions have more “expressive faces” but felt the movie suffers from an “overstuffed” and “clunky” narrative.
What To Watch ForWhether “Mufasa” can deliver a strong box office performance through Christmas and the New Year. Variety and Deadline both reported films that debut in December don’t always have the strongest opening weekends, but can perform well in the following weeks as word-of-mouth inspires theatergoers to catch movies over the holidays.
Contra“Mufasa” director Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning screenwriter and director of “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” previously addressed criticisms of “Mufasa” when the trailer dropped in April. “Barry, You're too good and talented for this [Disney CEO Bob] Iger's soulless machine,” one user told Jenkins on X. “There is nothing soulless about The Lion King,” Jenkins responded, calling it a “potent vessel for communal empathy” that allows children to experience “collective grief for the first time.”
Surprising Fact“Mufasa” and “The Lion King” (2019) are the worst-reviewed films in “The Lion King” franchise. The original animated movie, “The Lion King” (1994) reigns with a 92% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, while sequels “The Lion King II: Simba's Pride” (1998) and “The Lion King 1 1/2” (2004) have scores of 67% and 76%, respectively.
Key Background“Mufasa” opens after some of the box office’s most successful weekends all year. Led by a trifecta of “Moana 2,” “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” North American theaters grossed $420 million in total over the 5-day Thanksgiving weekend, the biggest Thanksgiving of all time at the movies. “Moana 2” has won the last three weekends at the box office, with more than $700 million in total worldwide gross so far.
Further Reading‘Sonic The Hedgehog 3’ To Outrun ‘Mufasa’ Stateside, But Lion Will Roar $180M In Global Opening – Box Office Preview (Deadline)
‘Mufasa’ Director Barry Jenkins Reacts to Fans Claiming He’s ‘Too Talented’ for Disney’s ‘Soulless Machine’: ‘There’s Nothing Soulless’ About ‘The Lion King’ (Variety)
