While fans around the world mourn the loss of James Earl Jones, who passed away Monday at the age of 93, the director of one of his iconic roles pays tribute.
Rob Minkoff, who directed Jones in the recording booth as he voiced King Mufasa in the 1994’s The Lion King, has released an exclusive statement to Daily Mail.
The 64-year-old director is currently in London, and heard about Jones’ death from The Lion King producer Don Hahn.
‘It was just such an honor to really work with him on Lion King. It was incredible that he agreed to the movie, and he was perfect for it,’ Minkoff began.
‘He created this indelible character that has lived on,’ he added, before explaining that The Lion King was actually inspired by the Star Wars franchise where he voiced the iconic villain Darth Vader.
While fans around the world mourn the loss of James Earl Jones, who passed away Monday at the age of 93 , the director of one of his iconic roles pays tribute
Rob Minkoff, who directed Jones in the recording booth as he voiced King Mufasa in the 1994’s The Lion King, has released an exclusive statement to Daily Mail
The 64-year-old director is currently in London, and heard about Jones’ death from The Lion King producer Don Hahn
‘One of the interesting things that people ask me is , “What was the inspiration for Lion King?” Actually, one of the big inspirations for it was Star Wars,’ Minkoff said.
‘So the fact that he was in Star Wars, there was a real connection. He played the ultimate villain in that movie and in our movie, he played the ultimate hero,’ he said.
‘It was one of the things that made that film so memorable and different from many other Disney movies,’ said the director, who has also recently appeared on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with wife Crystal Kung Minkoff.
When asked about what he will also remember about his friend, he said his warmth and sense of humor.
‘He loved to laugh, and his laugh and his voice were obviously so incredible,’ Minkoff said, before telling a story about a Lion King test screening.
‘You know, I remember when we had a test screening of [Lion King] very early on before the movie was released and we invited him to see it. It was such a meaningful thing to have his reaction to the film. One of the things he pointed out were different inspirations for the film, and he really understood and recognized what they all meant. It was his sensitivity, was so incredible.’
When asked about Jones’ legacy, Minkoff said, ‘He really moved the needle. Obviously, things have changed so dramatically in the country and in the world, especially with regard to race and equality, and I think that he was really a leader in the transformation of the culture.’
Minkoff’s The Lion King is still considered one of the greatest animated films of all time, earning a whopping $771 million worldwide in 1994 from just a $45 million budget.
‘One of the interesting things that people ask me is , “What was the inspiration for Lion King?” Actually, one of the big inspirations for it was Star Wars,’ Minkoff said
‘It was one of the things that made that film so memorable and different from many other Disney movies,’ said the director, who has also recently appeared on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills with wife Crystal Kung Minkoff
Minkoff has also directed Stuart Little, The Haunted Mansion, The Forbidden Kingdom, Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
Minkoff with his wife Crystal and their two children Max and Zoe at the opening of Intuit Dome in August 2024
It was also considered to be one of the best-selling home video releases of all time, selling over 55 million copies worldwide.
The film also spawned the beloved Broadway musical adaptation, which debuted in 1997 and is the highest-grossing Broadway musical of all time with nearly $2 billion in revenue.
Jones would reprise his voice role as Mufasa in Disney’s 2019 The Lion King remake, which was also a huge hit, earning $543 million domestic and $1.6 billion worldwide.
Minkoff has also directed Stuart Little, The Haunted Mansion, The Forbidden Kingdom, Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.
