Barry Jenkins, the director of Disney’s upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King, almost declined the project without even looking at the script. The upcoming film follows in the footsteps of the 1994 animated classic, The Lion King and its 2019 live-action adaptation. Both of those movies tell the story of Simba, a young lion prince who, after the tragic death of his father Mufasa and betrayal by his uncle Scar, embarks on a journey of self-discovery to reclaim his place as king and restore balance to the Pride Lands. Jenkins initially dismissed the idea of helming the prequel but changed his mind after reading the script.

https://screenrant.com/mufasa-lion-king-prequel-movie-barry-jenkins-direct-why/