The circle of life goes around and around and around...

When the “live-action” version of The Lion King grossed $1.6 billion, it was only a matter of time before Disney tried to make another one. The traditionally animated Lion King was a smash in the 1990s, and it spawned several direct-to-video sequels, along with a television series. This time, Disney is working on a big-screen, big-budget Lion King sequel with a very interesting director: Barry Jenkins, the filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning Moonlight.

According to Deadline. the film is going to be like The Godfather Part II, but for animated animal movies:

They are keeping the logline under wraps, but I’m told that the story will further explore the mythology of the characters, including Mufasa’s origin story. Moving the story forward while looking back conjures memories of The Godfather: Part II, set on the African plain with a continuation of the tradition of music that was a key part of the 1994 animated classic, the 2019 film and the blockbuster Broadway stage transfer.

Jenkins confirmed the news on his Twitter account:

I was not a fan of the remake of The Lion King, and from almost any other filmmaker, I would not be particularly interested in a sequel. From Barry Jenkins, though, I can’t help but be curious. If he wants to make it, he’s got to have a good reason to do it. And maybe you can make a Godfather Part II of talking animal movies? I guess if anyone can, Barry Jenkins could pull it off.

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