Disney’s recent release of Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) has sparked a bit of controversy, with the studio being accused of overstating the film’s success.
The 2019 live-action remake of The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau, was a highly anticipated retelling of Disney’s beloved 1994 animated classic. Using cutting-edge CGI and photorealistic animation, the film brought the African savanna and its iconic characters to life in a new, visually stunning way.
Despite its impressive technical achievements, the remake received mixed reactions, with some critics praising the stunning visuals and voice performances—particularly Donald Glover as Simba—while others felt the lifelike animation stripped away the emotional depth and charm of the original.
Not one to say no to box office revenue, however, Disney didn’t hesitate to commission a follow-up film. Mufasa: The Lion King acts as both a sequel and a direct prequel to the 2019 live-action The Lion King but has not generated the box office numbers Disney likely hoped for—especially in comparison to the monumental success of its predecessor, which grossed over $1.6 billion.
While Mufasa has earned $328 million so far (and has performed significantly better internationally than domestically), the film’s performance is far behind its predecessor’s, and it even ranked second at the box office behind Sonic the Hedgehog 3 over its opening weekend.
Despite this, Disney caused outrage when it recently claimed on its official social media that Mufasa was the number-one film both in the U.S. and globally for two consecutive weeks.
“#Mufasa: The Lion King is now the #1 movie in America, and the #1 movie in the world, two weeks in a row!” wrote @DisneyStudios. “See it now, only in theaters!”
#Mufasa: The Lion King is now the #1 movie in America, and the #1 movie in the world, two weeks in a row! 🦁 See it now, only in theaters! pic.twitter.com/bPIi9DBQWP
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) December 29, 2024
This claim was quickly flagged by X, formerly known as Twitter, for inaccuracy, as the film’s actual performance paled in comparison to Sonic 3, which brought in $137.5 million in the U.S., outpacing Mufasa’s $111 million.
The claim was corrected by the platform’s community notes system, leading to backlash from fans who questioned the authenticity of Disney’s statements (and came out all guns blazing in defense of Sonic the Hedgehog 3).
The film itself has received mixed reviews. While some praised Barry Jenkins’ direction and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music, others were unimpressed with the film’s photorealistic style, criticizing it for lacking the emotional depth of its animated counterpart. With the live-action remake trend showing signs of slowing down, especially after the underwhelming reception of The Little Mermaid (2023), the success of future Disney remakes, including Snow White (2025) and Lilo & Stitch (2025), may face a tough audience to win over.
Are you still excited by Disney’s live-action remakes?
