Barry Jenkins and Lin-Manuel Miranda creatively developed ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’.

LOS ANGELES — In “Mufasa: The Lion King,” director Barry Jenkins brings the animal kingdom to life in extraordinary ways.

During an interview with George Pennacchio from On The Red Carpet, Jenkins and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda discussed the creative process behind their highly anticipated film.

While the animals may not be real, every detail was carefully crafted.

Jenkins revealed that animators played a significant role on set, wearing motion-capture suits to bring the lions to life in real time. Unlike traditional 2D animation where artists draw by hand, this innovative approach allowed animators to use their entire bodies to create the characters.

While lifelike animals were one piece of the puzzle, Lin-Manuel Miranda elevated the story by crafting the music for the film.

Explaining his decision to join the project, Jenkins expressed his admiration for Barry’s previous work and his desire to learn and grow from the experience. As a big fan of Barry’s films, Jenkins believed that working on this project would provide him with invaluable lessons and insights.

“Lin and I had met very briefly in the past,” Jenkins added. “We had exchanged little notes, but when it came time to make this film and the idea of working with Lin was floated I went and watched interviews with Lin and your energy is always just so earnest and so passionate about what you’re doing, and I was like ‘Oh this is gonna be a slam dunk.'”

Read also: How the film’s star, Aaron Pierre, approached singing in a film for the first time!

See the vision come to life when “Mufasa: The Lion King” releases in theaters Dec. 20.

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