Oscar-winner Barry Jenkinsweaves the origins of Mufasa into a tale of mythic grandeur. If one considers "The Lion King" a revitalization of William Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece "Hamlet," then Jenkins posits that "Mufasa: The Lion King," slated for cinematic release this December 20th, stands as a poignant prequel to that timeless戏剧. The film introduces us to a young and orphaned Mufasa (portrayed by Aaron Pierre), destined to reign supreme over Pride Rock, and a youthful Taka (brought to life by Kelvin Harrison Jr.), fated to embody the sinister Scar. With such towering figures on screen, the director, renowned for his works in "Moonlight" and "If Beale Street Could Talk," sought a villainous presence to match their grandeur.
Enter Kiros, lent a menacing voice by Mads Mikkelsen of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" fame. Jenkins, taking a brief interlude from the film's soundscape orchestration, revealed to Entertainment Weekly, "I had a fascinating conversation with Jeff Nathanson, the screenwriter who penned the original script. He felt that delving into how these beloved characters evolved into the iconic figures we've cherished for a quarter-century held immense appeal. Kiros played a pivotal role in almost sculpting Mufasa's character, akin to an echoing whisper whose reverberations demand acknowledgment. This concept of Kiros was equally captivating and, in certain respects, equally potent as a character like Mufasa."
Nathanson's narrative for "Mufasa: The Lion King" unfolds through a tale narrated to Simba's (Donald Glover) and Nala's (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter) daughter, Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), by the wise Rafiki (John Kani), the mischievous Timon (Billy Eichner), and the lovable Pumbaa (Seth Rogen). In the tale, a young and solitary Kiara's grandfather, an orphaned cub wandering the untamed wilderness, encounters and forms a bond with Taka, the heir to a royal lineage. Their fate intertwines on a journey of self-discovery, one that will inevitably cross paths with Kiros, the silver-maned lion glimpsed in Entertainment Weekly's exclusive snapshots from the film.
"He is a formidable leader," Mikkelsen remarks of his character, "a lion guarding his pride with unwavering devotion. And akin to many lions, he firmly believes that the surest form of defense lies in offense. This world is harsh and unforgiving. Hence, in his realm, it is prudent to strike before one's adversaries do. One might even venture to say that his sights are set on a much vaster territory than the one he currently holds."
Kiros and his pack stand out visually from the rest of the animal kingdom, a distinction rooted in a narrative element conceived by Nathanson in his script's earliest drafts. "The notion of these lions possessing a genetic mutation, a phenomenon that truly exists in the wild," Jenkins elaborates. "This is the reason behind his unique appearance, distinguishing him from other lions."
"His pack is his family, united in their beliefs," Mikkelsen further explains. "They embrace their pain, cherish the survival of their genes, and perceive all others as threats to their existence. Among them, there are doubters and those lacking confidence, individuals who merely go along with the flow, questioning themselves in the depths of night but never voicing their doubts aloud."
Jenkins, mindful of avoiding spoilers, perceives Kiros as a harbinger of the Scar, a character familiar to Disney enthusiasts since the original Lion King three decades ago. He views this through the prism of nature versus nurture. "As children, we instinctively react to every stimulus we encounter," the filmmaker explains. "Take Taka, for instance, who only knows his parents, Eshe [played by Thandiwe Newton] and Obasi [played by Lennie James]. Then enters Kiros, a lion whose presence influences everyone. He exemplifies a particular kind of masculinity, leadership, and power, which can be both mesmerizing and intoxicating."
Like the rest of the cast, who recorded their lines in front of close-up cameras, providing visual effects artists with facial references for the animals' CG animation, the team incorporated certain aspects of Mikkelsen's personality into Kiros. Jenkins notes that two of the actor's teeth resemble tiny vampire fangs, a feature that was subsequently incorporated into the design of Kiros.
They envisioned this pack leader as a man towering above boys, embodying the quintessence of grandeur. "Our search led us to athletes who transcend the boundaries of ordinary," Jenkins elaborates, enumerating iconic figures such as Calvin Johnson, the formidable football player once of the Detroit Lions, the basketball legend LeBron James, and baseball superstars Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez and José Canseco. "And then, there's Mufasa. Reflecting on Kobe Bryant's debut season in the NBA, we sought that same kind of intellectual prowess and presence," Jenkins continues.
The director's quest for Kiros's voice was equally meticulous. He sought an actor whose timbre was "guttural, akin to a rapid rat-tat-tat," describing Mikkelsen's voice as "a rumble, reminiscent of a lion's roar echoing through the wild." To complement this unique vocal quality, the sound design team enlisted Harry Cohen, a semi-retired and highly esteemed sound designer who brought with him a vast collection of lion sounds that he had recorded decades ago in the 1970s. "Cohen's been recording for ages," remarks Greg Russell from the film's sound team. "His libraries are meticulously archived and organized, and he knows exactly where to find every sound."
Given that "Mufasa: The Lion King" is a musical, Mikkelsen also lent his vocal talents to the role. "This is my maiden voyage into singing as an actor," he admits. "Prior to my acting career, I did sing, but only in the choir. Performing these songs was nerve-wracking yet incredibly exhilarating." Jenkins adds, "He transforms the songs into a delightful experience. He was willing to dive into anything."
While the duo refrains from revealing too much about Mikkelsen's musical numbers, it's evident that Kiros won't be belting out "Hakuna Matata" across the Pride Lands. "When you hear the first song, you immediately realize we're not dealing with a heroic figure," Mikkelsen reveals. "But upon listening to the lyrics and understanding his bitterness and broken heart, you realize he's a lion in immense pain, and there's a reason for his demeanor. He chose the wrong path. 'When they go low, we go lower.' That's his mantra. Unlike Mufasa, who believes in 'When they go low, we go high.' The choice is always yours: the high road or the low road, and he opted for the latter."
