The digital release date has been revealed forMufasa: The Lion King. A follow-up to the 2019 remake ofThe Lion King,Mufasais a story that acts as both a prequel and a sequel to the classic tale. It is directed by award-winningMoonlighthelmer Barry Jenkins and features music by the incomparable Lin-Manuel Miranda.Mufasafeatures a leading voice castincluding Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Blue Ivy Carter, Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, and Billy Eichner.
As per Disney, the digital release date forMufasa: The Lion Kinghas been revealed. The movie will hitVOD on February 18. This will be followed by the film’s release to4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on April 1. These releases will have a litany of bonus features, most notably including a full-length sing-along version of the movie with lyrics on screen. Other bonus features include music videos, outtakes, cast and crew interviews, and featurettes.
What This Means For Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa Did Not Announce A Disney+ Date Yet
A notably absent aspect of this announcement wasMufasa’s Disney+ release date. This follows a recent trend with Disney, who also announced the digital release date forMoana 2in the past few days. LikeMufasa,Moana 2will roll out a digital release date, followed by a release to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD. All of these formats, for both movies, will seemingly come before the titles appear on Disney+. This will extend the period in whichMoana 2andMufasa: The Lion Kingcan be profitable.
Mufasa Ending Explained: What Happened Before & After The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King serves as a prequel-sequel to 2019’s The Lion King. With a new backstory for Mufasa and Scar, we break down the film’s ending.
The sing-along option is a particularly strategic bonus feature forMufasa: The Lion King. As an original musical,Mufasa’s songsare a major part of the movie’s appeal. In recent weeks, one song in particular, “I Always Wanted A Brother,” has become extremely popular on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. As such, there will be aneven higher demand for aMufasa: The Lion Kingsing-along version, causing more people to purchase the film.
Our Take On Mufasa: The Lion King’s Release Date
Disney Could Still Turn More Profit
Even since earlier 2024 movies likeInside Out 2, Disney has seemed to want to expand the theatrical exclusivity for their movies in general. InMufasa’s case, the film is only coming to digital about two months after the movie released in theaters. Still, by allowing more purchase options and not letting it go to Disney+, the company is expanding the movie’s profitability window. This worked for Universal with their financially profitable digital release forWicked, so the strategy can help Disney as well.
