Mufasa: The Lion King was one of the biggest movies of 2024, serving as both a sequel and a prequel to the 2019 remake of The Lion King, telling the origin story of both Mufasa and Scar, while giving some insight into the events directly after the first film. Mufasa‘s reviews were mixed, similarly to the 2019 film, but it did manage to expand the world of The Lion King quite effectively, tying up a few loose ends as well as leaving the door open for more films in the franchise.

One of Mufasa‘s biggest strengths was its characters, but another positive that has stuck throughout the franchise’s existence has been its setting, with beautiful vistas and landscapes shown in every incarnation of the film. Now that Mufasa is available on PVOD services alongside its bonus features, the filmmakers have finally confirmed exactly where in Africa The Lion King takes place, as well as giving details on where Mufasa journeyed through in this most recent film.

Mufasa: The Lion King Confirms Milele & Pride Rock Are In Kenya, Africa

The Real-Life Location Of Mufasa’s Kingdom Has Been Revealed

Milele and the Pride Lands are now officially confirmed to exist in Kenya, a country in Africa alongside the East Coast. The exact location of Pride Rock has long been in dispute, as previous filmmakers never confirmed it, but with Mufasa’s journey taking him across the entire continent, it seems like the filmmakers believed it to be an apt time to reveal this location. To be specific, Milele and Pride Rock exist in the Chyulu Hills in Kenya, a mountain range and national park in the southeast of the country.

There have always been theories about the exact location of this iconic landmark, with some suggestions it could be in Tanzania, but Kenya has always been one of the most theorized locations. The scenery in The Lion King was similar to a lot seen in the country, and the animators and artists from the original animated classic actually took a trip to Kenya to study the landscapes and vistas there, using that information to create the look of the film’s world.

Mufasa: The Lion King Includes Many Real Countries & Landmarks

Plenty Of African Countries Are Represented In Mufasa

However, Mufasa‘s behind-the-scenes information has revealed that Kenya was far from the only country that Mufasa and Taka found themselves in, as they essentially traveled across half the continent in their journey to find Milele. Mufasa himself was born in Namibia, and when he was swept away by the flood, he was brought to Botswana, crossing paths with Taka, who eventually became Scar, and his family. The duo traveled through Zambia and Zimbabwe together, before meeting Sarabi, Zazu, and Rafiki in Tanzania. The final leg of their journey involved them crossing Uganda before finally finding Milele in Kenya.

While it would be difficult to tell exactly where each scene in Mufasa was taking place based on the scenery alone, there are a number of significant landmarks strewn throughout the film that show where some of the big moments take place. The waterfall that Mufasa and Taka jump over, for example, is Victoria Falls, one of the world’s largest waterfalls, located in Zimbabwe. The mountain that the group travels over just before they find Milele is the legendary Mountain of the Moon, also known as the Rwenzori Mountains, in Uganda.

Basing Mufasa: The Lion King’s Locations On Real-Life Countries Makes The Movie More Grounded

Mufasa Feels More Realistic Thanks To These Depictions

While this information doesn’t seem the most relevant to the film, as Mufasa doesn’t make it clear where every single scene takes place, the fact that each location is based on a real place, combined with the pH๏τorealistic character models, makes the film feel much more grounded. Adding in real-world elements, even if the audience doesn’t consciously notice them, adds a sense of authenticity to the project, making it much easier to connect with the story. Obviously, none of this actually happened, but the more realistic it looks, the more realistic it feels, even as Mufasa gains his odd powers.

The filmmakers could’ve easily just set the film in a vague, generic African setting, but they took the time to figure out what each landscape looks like in the real world and translated that into the film. Africa often isn’t given the respect it deserves as a continent, with some people seeing it as one big homogeneous place, but it is extremely varied and beautiful. Injecting some of that variety and beauty into the film makes Mufasa: The Lion King stand out, grounding the film in our real world while showcasing the beauty of that world.