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The 2022 D23 Expo is taking place this weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center and with it is coming lots of big news Disney fans need to know from Parks and Resorts, movies and TV, and more. Today’s Disney and Pixar D23 Studio Showcase panel featured some of the most exciting news so far with first looks and announcements for upcoming films out of the two studios.
One of the surprises fans in attendance were able to get a glimpse of during the panel was the first details on a brand new Lion King film, the fifth film to release in total (including the original animated film and its sequels) with the last release being the 2019 remake.
Credit: Disney
During the Disney and Pixar D23 Studio Showcase, the official Disney D23 Twitter account shared the latest updates on announcements from the panel for fans waiting to hear the news from home. The official account used this opportunity to drop the title and year of release for the next film in Disney’s Lion King franchise.
As noted below, the new film titled Mufasa, will be released in 2024:
Mufasa: The Lion King. 2024. pic.twitter.com/7rhorK8oLF
— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) September 9, 2022
According to IGN, Mufasa: The Lion King will, as its name suggests, serve as a prequel to the original story fans were introduced to in the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios film. The new prequel will be directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and perhaps to the disappointment of fans who prefer traditional animation styles, will be similar in appearance to the 2019 remake of The Lion King.
Credit: Disney
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IGN also notes that initial footage was shown to those at this exclusive D23 panel with scenes showing Pride Rock as it appears in the beginning of the other Lion King films, followed by a view of Mufasa as a cub being washed away in a flood.
Disney has not yet confirmed a specific release date for the film other than 2024, nor has the studio shared a full trailer for us to share at this time. We at DisneyTips, however, will continue to monitor all news coming out of D23 this weekend and will share all of the latest updates here as we have them.
