With millions of people living in SoFlo, there have to be a few who are going to make it big in Hollywood. Barry Jenkins is one of those few shooting stars. The award-winning director is at the helm of Disney’s newest flick — “Mufasa: The Lion King” — and he even knows our little show!
Barry Jenkins: “I know Deco Drive. I grew up in Miami. I know Deco Drive. Woo!”
Yay! We love you!
Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins knows a thing or two about the 305 life, and now he’s the leader of the pack in Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King.”
Barry Jenkins: “You know, it’s interesting. When I first read the script, I was trying to figure out how this fit with the stories I tell, and ‘Moonlight,’ which we made in Miami and is about Miami, is a perfect example.”
Barry Jenkins: “If I told you I was making a film about a child who has an almost biblical experience in water and then loses a sort of parent figure and must go on this journey and rebuild their lives, I could be talking about ‘Moonlight,’ or I could be talking about ‘Mufasa.’”
“Moonlight,” of course, is the film he directed and won an Academy Award for!
There are similarities with both films, especially with the eyes!
Barry Jenkins: “You know, ‘Moonlight,’ a very Miami movie, involves quite a few close-ups. We didn’t want to shy away from allowing the audience the same intimacy with these lions. We worked with the animators and told them, ahead of time, and told the studio, ‘This is going to be a film where, sometimes, the eyes of these characters really have to communicate nonverbally.’”
Teamwork makes the dream work, and Barry feels Mufasa’s coming-of-age journey.
Barry Jenkins: “It takes a village to raise a child. That was my experience of growing up in our wonderful city, Dade County, the 305.”
OK, what’s your favorite place to eat, like ever?
Barry Jenkins: “Mandolin Aegean Bistro, this little tiny, like this little Mediterranean restaurant. Just on the edge of the Design District. I remember when it was like five tables, and now it’s like this massive courtyard patio. But still, you go in, and the flavors are the same. Get some of that grilled octopus and some plantains. So yeah, I love Mandolin; I highly recommend it.”
“Mufasa: The Lion King” is now playing in theaters.
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