Live-Action Lion King was the biggest box office success in 2019, but wait till you see Lion King 2! That’s right. While the Lion King (2019) was released on Disney+ in January 2020, Disney has The Lion King 2 in development with the acclaimed director of “Moonlight” Barry Jenkins.
The Oscar-winner director confirmed the news on Twitter after it was reported by Deadline initially. “Helping my sister raise two young boys during the ’90s, I grew up with these characters,” Jenkins said. “Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love, and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true.”
Jeff Nathanson, who penned down the previous installment, has joined the bandwagon and is ready with the script’s initial draft. The prequel’s cinematography will follow in the footsteps of The Lion King 2019 with its photo-realistic technology that director Jon Favreau brought for this movie and 2016’s The Jungle Book.
The Lion King 2019 had an initial budget of $260 million, but despite being a rather mediocre adaptation, it still grossed $1.6 billion and smashed the box office records. We wonder if the prequel will surpass the record Lion King has set.
Last year’s Lion King had a star cast with Beyoncé voicing the part for “Nala”. Earlier this year, she began work along with Disney Plus to launch an exclusive album “Black is King“. The album was a tribute to the African Diaspora and The Lion King. You can watch it from anywhere using a Disney Plus VPN.
Production and Release Date
There is no news on when production will begin or anything regarding the release date. We know that this is s top-priority project. We may expect a release date somewhere later in 2021 or early 2022. Hopefully, whatever it is, this will get a premiere in a cinema like the old days. Last month Disney Plus began a new Premier Access service, where Live-Action Mulan exclusively began streaming for $29.99.
