Mufasa: The Lion King, the live-action prequel to The Lion King, cost less to make than expected and earned Disney nearly $200 million in profit.
‘Mufasa’ Became a Big Success Globally
Despite initially being called a flop, Mufasa: The Lion King leapt over its financial hurdles. The film grossed $722.6 million at the global box office. Disney has also stated that the film cost less to make than originally expected, per Forbes, which means they gained even more profit on this Mufasa origin story.
Forbes estimates that the studio earned roughly $196.8 million at the box office. That includes a tax credit of $11.4 million from the U.K. government, the publication added.
Mufasa
“Mufasa” is a prequel to the live action “The Lion King” released in 2019. The film premiered in the U.S. on December 20, 2024. Aaron Pierre stars as Mufasa and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka a.k.a. Scar. The film also includes several actors reprising their roles from the 2019 “The Lion King.”
“Mufasa” opened to a rocky start, with the film only grossing $35 million in the U.S. and $122 million globally during its Christmas premiere weekend. The film was ranked second in the U.S. box office during its premiere, with “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” taking the first place instead.
Since the film cost a reported $200 million to produce, many labeled the movie as a box office miss for Walt Disney Studios. “Mufasa” eventually hit first place during the first week of 2025, but the gross change by week had dropped by such a sharp percentage that no one expected the film to last long in theaters. Despite this grim outlook, “Mufasa” remained steady and has slowly climbed the total gross rankings.
Most reports are now calling the film a surprising, come-from-behind success.
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