Mufasa serves as the prequel to the hit Disney film The Lion King. The movie centers around a young Mufasa and a lion prince named Taka, who will later grow up to be known as Scar. The film will explore Mufasa’s rise to power and Taka’s simultaneous descent into villainy.
During a recent trip to Disney World, I was able to chat with two of the movie’s stars: Kelvin Harrison Jr. who plays Taka, and Tiffany Boone who plays the young lioness Sarabi. The two actors talked about the film and their acting process. Here’s what they had to say about Mufasa, which hits theaters on December 20th.
Mufasa is officially a prequel to the 2019 Lion King film, but if someone has only seen the original animated 1994 movie, will they still be able to enjoy Mufasa?
Tiffany: Yeah, I think so for sure.
Kelvin: I don’t think the 2019 film diverts too far from the original 1994 version, it’s the same story. If anything, I think it added more context.
Tiffany: Yeah, I think you’ve got plenty to go off of whether you’ve seen just the 2019 or 1994 film.
The Lion King has been a timeless classic since it first came out, and it's loved by kids and adults. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized just how mature the movie really was. You have deceit, murder, power struggles, love, and more. What do you think made The Lion King strike this perfect balance between being a kids movie, but also being perfect for adults too?
Tiffany: I feel like that is what’s great about Disney films in general. You can enjoy them as a child and an adult. When I watched The Lion King as a kid, I didn’t understand how deep the grief and betrayal was, but I definitely understood some of it. Then as I got older and rewatched it, I was like, wow, that was really deep. I feel like the movies grow with you as you grow up.
What’s it like doing a film like Mufasa, where so much of it is voice acting. Was the cast ever able to come together? What’s the process like?
Tiffany: Me and Kelvin got to be in the booth together a few times, and Aaron (Pierre) was on-screen a lot, so it did feel like there was good collaboration.
Kelvin: I remember the first time I went in to do a scene, Barry Jenkins—the Director—was in Hong Kong, Aaron was in London, and I was in Prague. We were all over the world shooting this movie at different points in our lives, doing different jobs while we were making it. I think the best way we connected was through social media.
So what’s the process for you when you get into the booth? How do you pep yourself up and get into the acting mood when you’re working in a voiceover booth?
Tiffany: Every morning I would go in and start with my vocal warm-ups. I had a special tea I’d make, and I’d do some body warm-ups, and the second I got in the booth, I’d take my shoes off to get grounded.
Kelvin: I worked with my dialect coach a lot and we’d explore different voices and try a lot of different stuff. I’d pull from different characters and people I knew that I thought would be interesting to play with. It was a really fun process.
Disney's Mufasa hits theaters on December 20th. The Lion King is currently streaming on Disney Plus.