Barry Jenkins, Oscar winning filmmaker, has announced a prequel to Lion King. Jenkins announced Mufasa: The Lion King at D23, Disney’s fan event. Variety reported that the film was originally announced as a sequel in 2020 and narrates the story of Lion King Simba’s father Mufasa, exploring his childhood growing up with his brother Scar.

The Lion King, released in 1994, was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. It was remade in 2019 and was directed this time by Jon Favreau. 

Who is Barry Jenkins?

Barry Jenkins was born in 1979, in Miami, Florida, the youngest of four siblings. His mother was a nurse with a drug habit and she reportedly abandoned him when he was very young. He was raised by another woman. Jenkins later lived with friends from his school. He studied film at the Florida State University alongside contemporaries like James Laxton, Adele Romanski, Nat Sanders, and Joi McMillon.

Also Read: Disney confirms new ‘Lion King’ film with ‘Moonlight’ director

My Josephine, released in 2001, was Jenkins’s first film, a short. It is about an Arabic man and his romantic life after the 9/11 terror attacks. His next venture was a romantic drama called Medicine for Melancholy. Jenkins He received an “Independent Spirit Award” nomination for the film.

Moonlight, a coming-of-age drama released in 2016, became the big breakthrough in his career. It chronicles the life of a young man exploring the difficulties that his sexuality and identity bring to him. Moonlight got eight Oscar nominations and is cited as one of the best films of the 21st century. It won three Oscars, including one for best adaptive screenplay for Jenkins.

Also Read: Watch | YouTuber Lily Singh likens Kamala Harris to ‘Lion King’ in new video

In 2013, the same year that he wrote Moonlight, Jenkins had written a film adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel If Beale Street Could Talk. The film was later released in 2018, harboring critical praise and numerous awards, including Academy Awards and Golden Globes.

In 2021, Jenkins directed a television series adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel, The Underground Railroad, which was by Jenkins’s own admission his passion project. The series earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie nomination.

Barry Jenkins in his decade-long illustrious career has won several accolades. He became the fourth black person to be nominated for Best Director and the second black person to direct a Best Picture winner. He has received three Academy Award nominations winning Best Adapted Screenplay for Moonlight (2016). For the same, Jenkins became the first black filmmaker to ever sweep “The Big Four” critics awards for directing category. He also received nominations from the British Academy Film Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, and the Directors Guild of America.