The Mufasa Prequel: A Franchise Low for The Lion King?

The Legacy of The Lion King

Disney is expanding on 2019's live-action The Lion King with its Mufasa: The Lion King prequel, but given the studio's remake woes, the film will likely set an unwanted Lion King record. The original animated Lion King remains one of Disney's biggest successes to date. And although 2019's live-action The Lion King failed to convey the magic of the classic 1994 film, the movie still made more than $1 billion at the box office, a testament to the franchise's overall appeal.

Simba and Mufasa look out to the Pride Lands in The Lion King (2019)

Clearly, Disney hopes to capitalize on The Lion King's popularity further, as it's releasing a live-action prequel centered on Mufasa on December 20, 2024. The movie will be able to address some unanswered questions from The Lion King, but that may not be enough to get viewers to theaters. Given the lack of excitement around most of Disney's live-action remakes, it's very possible Mufasa will see poor box office returns. Even if it does decently well, it's likely to mark a franchise low.

Rafiki holding Simba in the live-action Lion King movie

Mufasa: The Lowest-Grossing Lion King Movie?

Given the success of previous Lion King movies, Mufasa: The Lion King has big shoes to fill — and it might bring the franchise to its lowest point if it doesn't live up to its predecessors. Even if it delivers a compelling narrative, it will be difficult for the prequel to surpass The Lion King's other theatrical releases. It could break a franchise record and become the lowest-grossing Lion King movie at the box office. In fact, that outcome seems more and more likely looking at the previous films' performance.

For one, Mufasa: The Lion King will need to beat the original animated movie at the box office. 1994's The Lion King currently boasts a box office total of $968 million, which includes re-releases (via Box Office Mojo). While it hasn't quite broken the $1 billion mark, it sets a high bar for the prequel. Taking the poorer performance of recent live-action Disney movies into account, it's unlikely Mufasa will surpass the first movie. Even if it does, it's going to have an even harder time beating the 2019 live-action film.

The Tough Challenge Ahead for Mufasa

Even if Disney's Mufasa prequel manages to surpass the original Lion King, it would need to pass the $1 billion mark to outperform 2019's live-action remake. The film made $1.6 billion at the box office (via Box Office Mojo), a number the upcoming prequel seems unlikely to reach at all, much less surpass. As none of Disney's 2023 movies broke $1 billion at the box office — and only two movies reached the billion-dollar milestone in general (via The Numbers) — the odds aren't in Mufasa: The Lion King's favor.