Billy Eichner chats with THR at the premiere of 'Mufasa: The Lion King' and describes the fun he had improvising with Seth Rogen as they played the characters of Timon and Pumbaa. Plus, he pitches his idea for a Timon and Pumbaa prequel.
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00:00This is 30 years after the original 1994 Lion King.
00:04What do you think is different or similar to this origin story?
00:08Well, this is an extension of the story.
00:11This is a part of the story we've never heard.
00:13And Barry Jenkins and his whole team,
00:16Barry Jenkins is the director, he's a masterful director.
00:18He's added so much complexity to it.
00:21To the Mufasa backstory and also to the Taka, a.k.a. Scar backstory.
00:26No one's born a villain and no one's born a hero,
00:29as Barry always talks about.
00:30So to watch how they developed traits that would be associated with either of those,
00:35I think it's fascinating.
00:37But also it's so relatable.
00:39The songs by Lin-Manuel are great, new songs.
00:43And me and Seth Rogen doing our shtick, take it or leave it.
00:47And it's just so fun.
00:49And this is a story about brotherhood, right?
00:52So what do you want audiences to get from that?
00:55I think it's about brotherhood and it's about found family.
00:58It's about chosen family, which for me is a huge part of my life.
01:01I have a ton of friends here tonight.
01:02They are my family.
01:04And I think that's so important.
01:06I think a lot of people can relate to that as well.
01:09Why do you think this story was important to tell now in 2024?
01:13I think it's always important or at least interesting to evolve a story.
01:18You know, to look backwards and forwards into where a story is.
01:22I mean, we've seen that with Wicked, right?
01:24Which I just saw and loved.
01:26And it is so interesting.
01:27You know, how did the Wicked Witch become, quote-unquote, wicked?
01:30How does Scar become, quote, evil or the villain?
01:34So to add that complexity to it and that humanity to it I think is important.
01:38Absolutely.
01:40What do you want kids and families to get out of this?
01:42After watching it and letting it marinate,
01:44what do you want them to walk away with it?
01:46This movie, when I watched it, alone in a screening room even,
01:49made me feel like a kid.
01:52It really did in a great way.
01:53I know that sounds cheesy, but it really did.
01:55It just has that sense of wonder about it
01:57that Barry and his team were able to instill in it.
02:00The action-adventure sequences are mind-blowing.
02:04I mean, it's lions chasing each other and going down waterfalls and underwater
02:09and on a snow-capped mountain.
02:10I don't even know how the hell they do it.
02:12But then I'm just happy to be a part of it.
02:14It's really astonishing.
02:16You mentioned working alongside Seth Rogen.
02:18So what was that like?
02:19Love Seth so much.
02:21We played Timon and Pumbaa.
02:22Seth and I, they encourage us to improvise a lot,
02:25and I think maybe 90% of what made it into the movie was improvised.
02:29Things that me and Seth came up with in the booth together,
02:32we get to record together, which is awesome.
02:34I love that man. He feels like a brother.
02:37We spend a lot of time making these movies together
02:39and promoting them, and I adore him.
02:41You guys' characters are kind of like comedic relief but also comforting.
02:45So how did you guys tap into that part of it?
02:48Well, Timon and Pumbaa, they need each other.
02:50They're best friends.
02:51They are their chosen family on some level.
02:55They're an unlikely duo, and they're the ultimate outsiders.
02:59They're always desperate to be in the center of the story,
03:01which they never are unless Disney makes a Timon and Pumbaa prequel,
03:05which we're very excited about.
03:07That hasn't been announced.
03:08We're just putting that out there.
03:11But yeah, I think it has that heart because they're family too.
03:14What would that ideal prequel look like?
03:17Oh, I don't know, but Lin-Manuel, who did not write us,
03:20who had the audacity not to write a new Timon and Pumbaa song for this movie,
03:24better write some songs for the prequel.
03:26I would love a Timon and Pumbaa prequel.
03:28You know, when Timon met Pumbaa, we see how they met,
03:31how they became friends.
03:33Later we watch them aging gracefully in a remorseless industry.
03:39But, you know, it would be so fun.