This Tollywood star is voicing Mufasa in 'Lion King'—Telugu version
What's the story
Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu is set to lend his voice to the character of Mufasa in the Telugu version of Disney's upcoming film, Mufasa: The Lion King.
The movie, which delves into the backstory of the iconic character, is slated for release on December 20 in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
The news was confirmed through an official announcement on social media on Wednesday.
Casting decision
Babu's voice 'perfect for the role'
According to earlier reports, the team behind Mufasa was keen on having Babu voice Mufasa as they believed his powerful voice would be a perfect fit for the character.
This marks a significant milestone for Tollywood as it is the first time a Telugu actor has been involved in such a major international project.
The Telugu trailer for Mufasa is scheduled to be released on August 26 giving fans their first glimpse of the highly-anticipated project.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the announcement post here
SUPERSTAR MAHESH BABU is the Telugu voice of Mufasa in Disney's
— 𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐢𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐫 (@UrsVamsiShekar) August 21, 2024visually stunning family entertainer #MufasaTheLionKing. 🤘
Markyour calendars for the Telugu trailer launchon 26th August at 11:07 AM. 🕚
Catch the movie roaring into theatres on 20th Dec in English, Hindi,… pic.twitter.com/sWz4XgYARm
Hindi version
Fans are equally excited for the Hindi version: Here's why
Meanwhile, the excitement was multifold when it was announced that in the Hindi version of the film, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan would voice Mufasa, with his sons Aryan Khan and AbRam Khan voicing Simba and young Mufasa, respectively.
SRK and Aryan had previously voiced Mufasa and Simba in the 2019 Hindi dubbed version of The Lion King, receiving widespread acclaim for their performances.
However, nobody saw AbRam's debut coming!
About the film
Here's more about 'Mufasa'
Mufasa explores Mufasa's formative years, tracing his journey from an orphaned cub to one of the greatest kings.
The film introduces a young Mufasa who encounters Taka, a sympathetic lion and heir to a royal bloodline.
This chance meeting sets off an epic adventure for Mufasa and his companions. The trailer hints at a deeper exploration of Mufasa's relationship with his brother Scar (formerly Taka).
The film is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins.