Movie tickets. Credit: Great Falls Tribune
Although it’s a new year, two films are still dominating the musical and Box Office charts. Premiering within a month of each other in late 2024, Wicked: The Film, and Mufasa: The Lion King, delivered authentic, yet faithful, renditions of their beloved origin stories.
Both films garnered widespread excitement and anticipation from loyal audiences for their ‘sneak peek’ trailers, launched months before their distinctive release dates. Prior to their first appearances in American theaters, each film employed a steady stream of marketing collaborations and brand deals with popular names such as Target, Primark, Sharpie, and Actively Black, to promote their forthcoming debuts.
As a result, Wicked challenged box office expectations during its opening weekend, completely surpassing the revenue of Gladiator II and Red One, with $164 million: $114 million domestically and $50 million internationally, reported NBC. Currently, the film is globally set at $717.9 million.
On the contrary, Mufasa: The Lion King earned a modest 35 million, as it was met with skepticism and criticism for being yet another prequel. Despite its slow comings, reviews and word of mouth earned the film momentum, with it now leading its “…global weekend for the 6th time in a row,” said Deadline. The film is said to have set a global total of $627.7 million.
Despite their vastly different color schemes, production styles, and storylines, the pair highlighted intertwined themes of family legacy, moral ambiguity, and identity, through the evolving friendships that drive the core of each protagonist’s narrative.
Wicked, originally an L. Frank Baum children’s novel, was retold and published by Gregory Maguire in 1995. Several years later, the novel was famously adapted into a Broadway musical alongside well-known composer, Stephen Schwartz, which eventually led to Jon M. Chu’s 2024 film adaptation.
Wicked centers the untold story of friendship between Elphaba, played by Emmy, Grammy, and Tony-winning force Cynthia Erivo, a young misunderstood woman paralyzed by her strikingly green skin who has yet to discover her true power, and Glinda, played by Grammy-winning, multi-platinum global superstar Ariana Grande, a young woman severely blinded by her popular privilege that she is unbeknownst to herself.
The film opens with young children running along the yellow-brick road, a historical symbol in the OZ universe, chanting and celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch–later revealed to be Elphaba. After riding down on her signature bubble to Munchkin land, Glinda delivers a commanding performance of No One Mourns the Wicked, appearing to support the commemoration of the town’s long-awaited demise.
When questioned about her bond with the witch, now gone, Glinda reveals that she and Elphaba “did know each other” during their time at Shiz, Oz’s School of Wizardry. Following the unanticipated dorm pairing of the two young women, the two formed a bond that transcended the boundaries of their contradictory appearances.
During a visit to the Wizard of Oz at his command, the young women’s stories begin to unveil a journey marked by social tragedy, unforeseen evils, and a path to self-discovery and acceptance.
Similarly to Wicked, Mufasa: The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins, explores the unknown background of a prominent figure with a reputation that precedes them. In the original 1994 film, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, Mufasa, played by legendary James Earl Jones, is introduced as the King of Pride Rock, and father to the heir, Simba. Throughout the beginning of the film, Mufasa and his wife, Sarabi, are nurturing their new-born son and preparing the land to accept him as king.
During a random wildebeest stampede in the gorge, later revealed to be premeditated by his brother, Scar, Mufasa was killed in the process of trying to save his son. Simba, who has survived, is then forced to grow up beyond the Savannah and determine his destiny without the guidance of his father. In the end, Simba comes back to Pride Rock, with the help of his new friends, Timon and Pumba, to defeat his wicked uncle, Scar, and take back his rightful seat as King of the land.
As a prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King tells the story of Mufasa, now played by Aaron Pierre,, a lion cub with a kindred origin to his son, through his close friend, Rafiki.
Born into a small pride in Namibia, Mufasa was raised as a commoner with his mother, Afia, and father, Masego. Taken from his parents during an unexpected flood, Mufasa finds himself meeting a sympathetic lion named Taka, played by Kelvin Harrison Jr, the heir to another pride’s royal bloodline.
Despite the persistent reminders of their differences–Taka soon becoming king and Mufasa being an orphan–the pair forge a brotherhood that surpasses the limitations of blood and familial loyalty.
When Taka’s mother, and Mufasa’s mentor, Eshe, was attacked by a pride of vengeful White lions, called the Outsiders, the two young men were sent off on a journey to discover a new home for the future generations of the pride. Along the way, they met stray lioness Sarabi, Simba’s mother in the 1994 and 2019 film, and a younger Rafiki, Mufasa’s closest friend and the film’s narrator. While hiding from the retaliatory ambush of the Outsiders, Mufasa and Sarabi grew closer in their bond, and Taka, who professed his love for Sarabi, became spiteful.
After teaming up with the Outsiders in an attempt of revenge, Taka and Mufasa’s relationship takes a difficult turn, sparking discussions on the importance of moral complexity, familial ties, and character.
In addition to their powerful themes, the music in both films played a key role in the viewing experience. Performed entirely live by two of the nation’s musical powerhouses, critics named Wicked’s 2024 rendition of the timeless soundtrack, “..intensely “thrillifying” and worth the title of living up, “to the 21-year old Broadway bible.”, according to Knust (2024).
Mufasa was praised entirely for its originality and ability to culturally and theatrically capture the essence of the fictional Pride Lands of Tanzania, Africa. Along with preserving the legacy of Lebo M.’s legendary introductory ballad, the film is also praised for its collaboration with renowned composers like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Nicholas Britell.
In this year’s upcoming Oscars, Wicked has received a total of 10 nominations, including Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Picture, and Best Visual Effects. However, Mufasa: The Lion King has reportedly been short-listed for this Oscars, but continues to receive consistent acknowledgment for the visuals, performances, and soundtrack.
To hear the award recipients, tune into the 97th Academy Awards hosted by Conan O’Brien live on ABC and Hulu, on Sunday, March 2nd, 2025 at 7pm.
Spartan Echo 