Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, known for his 2016 romance drama Moonlight, has responded to trolls questioning his decision of directing Disney film Mufasa: The Lion King, the first teaser trailer of which dropped on April 29.

Responding to an X (formerly Twitter) user who called Disney films ‘soulless’, Jenkins wrote, "There's nothing soulless about The Lion King. For decades, children worldwide have sat in theaters, experiencing collective grief and engaging with Shakespeare for the first time, across various languages. It's a powerful conduit for communal empathy."

Addressing criticism on X post, the director emphasised the significance of striving to establish creative freedom. He also spoke about his dedication to crafting stories that connect with audiences and mirror his artistic vision.

In response to Jenkin’s reply, another X user wrote, “Come on man. I interviewed you when you premiered Moonlight at TIFF, and that Barry Jenkins wouldn’t have said what you just said. You can do a Disney movie for the check, in order to work on your passion projects at a later time, but you don’t have to shill like this.”

“Bruh what kind of logic is that? How about this, here are a few videos from the ‘same Barry Jenkins who premiered Moonlight‘ (as you put it) showing some of the things I was doing in my spare time AT THE SAME TIME I was writing Moonlight,” Jenkins replied in the comment section.

The director also included links to other projects he has done over the years in the comment section to support his statement.

Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to the 1994 animated classic, The Lion King, which was adapted by director Jon Favreau in 2019. The narrative explores the origin story of Simba’s father, Mufasa, who struggled as an orphaned lion cub and eventually emerged as the ruler of the forest.

Actor Aaron Pierre has lent his voice to the younger Mufasa in the film. The film also features Kelvin Harrison, John Kani, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner and Donald Glover as voice actors.