The question of why Jenkins, the filmmaker of “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “The Underground Railroad,” would want to jump into the big-budget, photorealistic animated Disney world of lions and tigers has bedeviled much of a film world that reveres him.

For the new Lion King prequel, director Barry Jenkins explains why it was important to give creative freedom to the movie’s African actors.

The Lion King." Credit: Disney So, has Jenkins overcome all this to make a film worthy of his reputation? No, but he makes a noble effort. Have you ever wondered how Mufasa met Rafiki? How Zazu's morning reports came about?