Mufasa: The Lion King star has the perfect idea for Timon and Pumbaa spinoff

With Mufasa: The Lion King out in cinemas now, you might be wondering: what’s next? Although nothing’s set in stone, voice star Billy Eichner has the perfect idea for a Timon and Pumbaa spinoff alongside Seth Rogen. 

The new movie serves as both a sequel and prequel to the 2019 Lion King, which itself was a “live-action” remake of the animated Disney classic (we use quote marks because real animals weren’t actually used but rather photorealistically animated).

In Mufasa, we catch up with Nala (Beyonce), Simba (Donald Glover), and their daughter Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter) in the present. Running alongside this story is the origin of Mufasa and Taka’s journey to becoming the villainous Scar. 

Eichner’s Timon and Rogen’s Pumbaa are there to provide plenty of hilarious asides, and this might not be the last we see of these two.

Mufasa: The Lion King star shares Timon and Pumbaa spinoff idea

Dexerto caught up with Eichner ahead of the Mufasa: The Lion King premiere, where he came up with the perfect idea for a Timon and Pumbaa movie: a buddy road trip.

When asked about the potential spinoff, Eichner said, “ Everyone’s asking about it. Seth and I, we’re ready to go. We need people to make noise about a Timon and Pumbaa movie.

“I think it’s very, very important that we all talk about that constantly,” he jokingly added. 

As for where he’d like the film to go, he said, “I think a prequel would be fun, or we could watch them in the future. 

“I think some sort of a road trip movie would be fun, where they go on an adventure, meet new characters, and then maybe touch base with the classic characters. A real fun, colorful comedy.

Disney

“ You know, The Lion King is really intense and emotional, and that part is great. And Timon and Pumbaa really are best friends, so we could explore that friendship. But something that’s really funny and fast.”

Eichner went on to joke, “And maybe some new songs from Lin-Manuel [Miranda, Mufasa: The Lion King’s composer] since he didn’t write us one for this movie, which Seth and I are very angry about.”

Mufasa: The Lion King is in cinemas now. If you don’t mind spoilers, you can read about how the ending changes Scar’s backstory and the film’s James Earl Jones dedication explained. Also, be sure to check out our rundown of the best movies of 2024.