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Mufasa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mufasa is a fictional character in Disney's The Lion King franchise. A wise, benevolent lion, the character first appears in The Lion King (1994) as King of the Pride Lands and devoted father to Simba, who he is grooming to one day inherit the throne. He is murdered by his younger brother, Scar, who kills him so he may usurp the throne. Mufasa's death forces Simba to flee the Pride Lands in exile, but Mufasa's ghost appears to an adult Simba to convince him to return home and confront his responsibilities as rightful heir, ultimately restoring the Pride Lands. Mufasa was voiced by actor James Earl Jones.

Jones voiced the character in the 2019 remake of The Lion King, the only main cast member from the original film to reprise their role. A prequel, entitled Mufasa: The Lion King, is scheduled to be released in 2024 and will explore Mufasa's background.

Role

In The Lion King (1994), King Mufasa reigns over the lush Pride Lands with his mate, Queen Sarabi. Their newborn son, Simba, is destined to succeed his father as king. However, Mufasa's scheming brother, Scar, covets the throne and plots to eliminate both Mufasa and Simba. Mufasa imparts wisdom to Simba, teaching him about the delicate balance of life in the Pride Lands.[1] He also cautions Simba to prepare for the time when we will take his father's place.[1] One fateful day, Scar's treacherous plan to unleash a wildebeest stampede backfires, trapping Simba in a gorge. Mufasa heroically rescues his son but is tragically caught in the stampede himself. As Mufasa struggles to escape, Scar, waiting above, cruelly pushes him to his death. Scar manipulates a young Simba into believing he caused Mufasa's demise, forcing him to flee in shame.[1] Lost and alone, Simba finds refuge in the jungle, where he is raised by Timon and Pumbaa, a meerkat and a warthog.[1] Despite his new carefree life, the guilt of his perceived actions lingers.[1] Years later, Simba is reunited with Rafiki, a wise baboon who reveals that Mufasa's spirit lives on inside of him.[1] Guided by his father's ghostly apparition, Simba returns to the Pride Lands, confronts and defeats Scar, and ultimately reclaims his rightful place as king.[1]

Development

Creation

The Lion King was the first film of the Disney Renaissance to focus on a father-son relationship, rather than a romantic relationship.[2] Producer Don Hahn described the film as "essentially a love story between a father and a son ... It’s about that moment in life when you realise that your father is going to pass on to you his wisdom and knowledge".[1] In early versions of the film, Mufasa is not related to Scar.[3] The producers decided that making the two characters brothers would result in a more powerful story. However, the characters' appearance had already been determined by this point, leaving little family resemblance between the two.[3] Although Mufasa and Scar refer to each other as brothers throughout the film as part of the same pride,[4] Hahn suggested that it would have been unlikely for Mufasa and Scar to share to same parents because lion prides typically only have one adult male lion, with younger rogue lions often killing a pride's original leader and his offspring to assert dominance.[5][a]

Mufasa's death prompted the filmmakers to come up with creative ways to lighten the mood of the film afterwards. Director Rob Minkoff suggested sending Simba into exile immediately afterwards, which allowed for the emotional weight of Mufasa's death to be alleviated by Timon and Pumbaa's humor.[10] Originally, Mufasa was not going to appear again in the film after his death, but the producers wanted Simba to have a "solid" reason to return to Pride Rock and decided his father's ghost would convince him.[11] Animator Chris Sanders was responsible for the scene in which Mufasa's spirit reminds Simba to return home.[12] From the dialogue, Sanders determined that the character would manifest as either "a lifelike ghost, a series of stars, or just a dark presence" in this scene.[12] He drew inspiration from a musical excerpt from the film The Mission (1986), which had also starred Jeremy Irons, voice of Scar, and used pastels "to fully encapsulate a vision of Mufasa emerging from the clouds".[12]

Voice

Actor James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa.

Actor Sean Connery was Disney's first choice to voice Mufasa.[13][14][15] Liam Neeson was also considered.[16] Mufasa was voiced by American actor James Earl Jones. Disney claims that, once the character was realized, it was difficult to envision anyone other than Jones voicing him.[17] Jones was drawn to the role because he was impressed by drawings of the character and opportunity to create characters using only his voice, claiming the process reminded him of his early experiences performing on radio.[17] An accomplished thespian, he was also attracted to the film's Shakespearean elements.[17] He described voice acting as "acting in its purest form", likening performing in ancient Greek theatre "where the actors would wear masks. In our case, the masks are the animators’ drawings and we just simply supply all the behaviors, emotions, and feelings behind that mask”.[18]

According to Jones, he originally made the mistake of trying to make the character sound regal before receiving instructions from the directors to voice him like himself, who he described as more akin to "a dopey dad".[19] Inspired by a different tone of voice, the animators then proceeded to incorporate his own facial expressions into Mufasa.[20] Directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff praised Jones's work on the film,[21] recalling that his warm up vocal exercises prior to recording were particularly remarkable "and sometimes sounded like a real lion with a rumbling growl".[22] Allers recalled that his voice would echo throughout the room, without aid from a microphone.[17] A song had originally been written for the character,[23] which was ultimately not used in the film once they realized Jones was unable to perform it.[3] Entitled "To Be King",[24] it was ultimately reworked into "I Just Can’t Wait To Be King", performed by Simba.[16] Jones and actress Madge Sinclair, who voiced Sarabi, had previously played a king and queen couple in Coming to America (1988).[25][26][27] The actor voiced the character again in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (1998) and The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (2015).[18]

Jones was the only original cast member to reprise his role in the 2019 animated remake of The Lion King.[28][29][30] The reprisal was one of his final film credits before his death on September 9, 2024.[31] Actor Aaron Pierre will voice the character in Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel to the 2019 film.[32] Pierre cited Jones as one of his greatest inspirations.[32]

Personality and design

Jones described Mufasa as an authoritative but gentle father.[19] Jones's staunch demeanor during recording sessions served as inspiration for supervising animator Tony Fucile.[12] Fucile said Jones provided both the regal quality and "fatherly warmth" the animators needed to create the character, explaining, "it was up to us to visually come up to that standard that he set with his voice".[17] The animators borrowed some design elements from Mufasa for adult Simba to make the latter look more heroic.[33] Animator Chris Wahl specifically requested to work on Mufasa because he admired Fucile and Jones's vocal performance. Despite the character's lack of footage due to his smaller role and having already assembled an animation team, the filmmakers allowed Wahl to help animate the character.[34] Maquettes of the character were created by animation sculptor Kent Melton.[35]

Reception

Jones received critical acclaim for his performance as Mufasa.[36] Turner Classic Movies said the actor's "distinct baritone was put to excellent use".[37] According to Daniel Carter of Beliefnet, Jones's efforts resulted in "a beloved character that resonated with audiences worldwide".[38] Elizabeth Gregory of the Evening Standard said Jones's voice stood out amidst a cast of other great actors.[39]

Several publications consider Mufasa to be one of Jones's greatest performances of his career.[40][29][41][42][39][43][44] Calling Mufasa "pop culture’s most imposing dads", Noel Murray of The New York Times said that "Few other performers of Jones’s era could have made characters so vivid while sitting in front of a microphone".[45] Game Rant ranked The Lion King his best performance.[46] Mary Kate Carr of The A.V. Club said the actor "imbued the character with such dignity and distinction", to the point where he speaks the film's most iconic lines.[29] Wilson Chapman of IndieWire said "Few actors have ever been better suited for a voice role than Jones was for Mufasa", calling the actor equally effective during his quieter moments parenting Simba.[30]

Legacy

Mufasa's death at the hands of scar is considered to be one of the most memorable and impactful on-screen deaths in film history. According to Jessica Wang of Entertainment Weekly, "Not a single viewer was emotionally unaffected by the death of Mufasa" in 1994.[42]

In 2014, Camille Dautrich of the Springfield News-Leader described Mufasa as one "of the world's most beloved animated characters".[47] The Lion King was Jones's most famous animated performance,[46] and one of his best-known roles.[32] Carlos Morales of IGN called Mufasa "his second most famous role", after Darth Vader from the Star Wars franchise.[48] Comparing the two roles, Kofi Outlaw of ComicBook.com said that Jones had transitioned "from being a nightmare bad dad in Star Wars, to being the dad every young cub (human or lion) wishes they had, in The Lion King (1994)".[44] According to Morales, Jones's work in voice acting also "but brought credibility to a type of acting that still struggles to be respected to this day".[48] In 2019, The Walt Disney Company inducted Jones as a Disney Legend in the "voice" category,[49] for his "remarkable contributions to the Disney legacy".[50]

Notes

  1. ^ In a 2017 interview, producer Don Hahn generated widespread media coverage when he suggested that, contrary to popular belief, Mufasa and Scar are not blood-related brothers due to power and gender dynamics that usually limit lions to one adult male lion per pride.[6][7] Following fan outcry, the statement was soon retracted by director Rob Minkoff.[8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "The Lion King". BFI Southbank Programme Notes. August 13, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  2. ^ "The Lion King Mufasa Production Maquette (Walt Disney, 1994)..." Heritage Auctions. December 10, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Nilles, Billy (June 19, 2019). "The Lion King Turns 25: Everything You Need to Know About Disney's Original Trip to Pride Rock". E!. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  4. ^ Hanley, Cecelia (August 17, 2017). "Lion King makers reveal Scar, Mufasa aren't brothers". WTXL ABC 27. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  5. ^ Lang, Cady (August 29, 2017). "The Lion King Director Confirms That Mufasa and Scar Are Totally Brothers". Time. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Rosa, Christopher (August 16, 2017). "Um, Mufasa and Scar Aren't Actually Brothers in 'The Lion King'". Glamour. Archived from the original on August 14, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Curley, Julia (August 19, 2017). "'Lion King' producer reveals shocking truth about Scar, Mufasa". Today. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2024. Hahn off-handedly caused an existential crisis for "Lion King" lovers when he said, "Scar and Mufasa couldn't really be from the same gene pool."
  8. ^ Ibarrola, Khristian (August 31, 2017). "'Lion King' director retracts earlier statement, says Mufasa and Scar are brothers". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2024. "We got into trouble," he described the backlash that ensued from his earlier revelation.
  9. ^ Brodsky, Sam (September 1, 2017). "Update: "Lion King" Director Confirms that Scar and Mufasa Are Brothers". Good Housekeeping. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  10. ^ Clarke, James (2012). Animated Films - Virgin Film. United Kingdom: Ebury Publishing. ISBN 9781448132812 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Ryan, Keeley (July 19, 2019). "13 things about The Lion King that you (probably) didn't know". Her.ie. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d Kring-schreifels, Jake (July 19, 2019). "How the Original 'Lion King' Came to Life". The Ringer. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  13. ^ McKiddy (July 23, 2019). "Interesting Facts About the Original "The Lion King"". The Big 98. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  14. ^ Fallon, Kevin (March 1, 2024). "Every Crazy, Weird Fact About Disney's 'The Lion King'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  15. ^ Brown, Greg (July 23, 2019). "10 interesting facts about the original "The Lion King"". 94.7 WLS. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Ryan, Keeley (July 19, 2019). "13 things about The Lion King that you (probably) didn't know". Her.ie. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Whoopi Goldberg and James Earl Jones Lend Voices to Disney's Movie 'Lion King'". Johnson Publishing Company. July 4, 1994. pp. 33, 35. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved September 12, 2024 – via Google Books.
  18. ^ a b "Remembering Disney Legend James Earl Jones". The Walt Disney Company. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Griggs, Brandon; Rosenbloom, Alli (September 9, 2024). "James Earl Jones, iconic actor and memorable voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa, dead at 93". CNN. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  20. ^ Cudd, Shannon (September 10, 2024). "10 Things Most People Probably Didn't Know About the Late James Earl Jones". CafeMom. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  21. ^ Callaway, Timothy (October 10, 2011). "The Making of 'The Lion King'". The Mouse Castle. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  22. ^ Bonanno, Luke (September 30, 2011). "Interview: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, The Directors of The Lion King". DVDizzy.com. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  23. ^ "7 Things That You Didn't Know About The Lion King". Disney Malaysia. 21 June 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  24. ^ Grossbart, Sarah (June 24, 2024). "Secrets About The Lion King That Will Make You Feel the Love Tonight". E!. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  25. ^ "The Lion King: 20 Amazing Things You Might Not Know". Yahoo Movies UK. April 15, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  26. ^ Aquino, Tara (Mar 7, 2021). "10 Facts About Coming to America". Mental Floss. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  27. ^ Baker, Craig S (August 23, 2022). "25 Surprising Facts About 'The Lion King'". Mental Floss. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  28. ^ Sacks, Ethan (September 9, 2024). "James Earl Jones, legendary actor known for unmistakable baritone voice, dies at 93". NBCNews.com. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  29. ^ a b c Carr, Mary Kate (September 10, 2024). "8 of our favorite James Earl Jones performances". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Chapman, Wilson (September 9, 2024). "James Earl Jones' 12 Greatest Roles, from 'Star Wars' to 'The Hunt for Red October' and 'The Great White Hope'". IndieWire. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  31. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (September 9, 2024). "James Earl Jones Was So Much More Than His Golden Voice". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  32. ^ a b c Adams, Char (September 10, 2024). "'Master of our craft': James Earl Jones' influence went far beyond voiceovers". NBCNews.com. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  33. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (March 11, 2022). "'Lion King' Animator Ruben Aquino Looks Back at the Inspirations Behind His Design of Simba". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  34. ^ Golembewski, Vanessa (June 23, 2015). "The Secret Rivalry Between Pocahontas & The Lion King". Refinery29. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  35. ^ Stracener, Layne (November 12, 2018). "From Aladdin to Mufasa, local artist sculpts characters for big-name Hollywood studios". The Standard. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  36. ^ Ayres, Tom (December 12, 2010). "Neeson 'ignored Lion King for Narnia'". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 11, 2024. "I tried not to think of James Earl Jones!" Neeson joked with MTV News, referring to the actor's acclaimed role as Mufasa in the 1994 animation The Lion King.
  37. ^ "James Earl Jones – Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  38. ^ Carter, Daniel (September 9, 2024). "A Voice That Resonated Through Generations: Remembering James Earl Jones". Beliefnet. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  39. ^ a b Gregory, Elizabeth (September 11, 2019). "James Earl Jones: the American actor's best films, from The Lion King to Star Wars". Evening Standard. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  40. ^ Salerno, Lauren (September 10, 2024). "'Legends never die': The James Earl Jones performances that shaped our lives". The Mary Sue. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  41. ^ O'Brien, Tom; Holland, Misty; Beachum, Chris (September 9, 2024). "James Earl Jones movies: 10 greatest films ranked worst to best". GoldDerby. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  42. ^ a b Wang, Jessica (September 9, 2024). "James Earl Jones' most memorable roles: Field of Dreams, The Lion King, Star Wars, more". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  43. ^ Weisholtz, Drew (September 10, 2024). "Remembering James Earl Jones' most memorable roles, from 'Star Wars' to 'The Lion King'". Today. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  44. ^ a b Outlaw, Kofi (September 9, 2024). "James Earl Jones: Remembering His Best Roles". ComicBook.com. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  45. ^ Murray, Noel (September 9, 2024). "12 Great Films of James Earl Jones". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  46. ^ a b Heath, David (September 11, 2024). "8 Most Iconic Performances by James Earl Jones". Game Rant. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  47. ^ Dautrich, Camille (March 26, 2014). "Ozarks sculptor shapes Hollywood animated characters". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  48. ^ a b Morales, Carlos (September 10, 2024). "James Earl Jones' Voice Is the Only Reason the Most Iconic Villain in Movie History Exists". IGN. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  49. ^ "James Earl Jones". D23. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  50. ^ "Meet the 2019 Disney Legends to Be Honored at D23 Expo". D23. May 16, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
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