Part 2/6:
Production and Marketing Costs
The $200 million budget does not reflect the total expenditure needed for profitability. Industry experts reveal that this figure omits significant marketing expenses, often not mentioned by various entertainment outlets. For instance, looking at the 2019 release of the original "Lion King," the marketing costs were about $145 million, which, when adjusted for inflation, likely pushes "Mufasa's" marketing expenses to around $184 million at a minimum.
In total, accounting for both production and marketing, the grand total for "Mufasa" places its necessary earning to break even extremely high, making the reported $700 million less impressive when scrutinized.