Disney has released the first trailer for “Mufasa: The Lion King,” a prequel to the 2019 photorealistic remake of “The Lion King,” and revealed that Blue Ivy Carter has joined the voice cast.
From “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins, “Mufasa” will explore the titular lion’s origin story, depicting his childhood with his brother Taka aka Scar, who becomes the main antagonist in “The Lion King.” Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. will voice the younger versions of Mufasa and Scar, respectively. James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa in both the 1994 original film and 2019 remake. Jeremy Irons voiced Scar in 1994, while Chiwetel Ejiofor took over in 2019.
Many members of the 2019 voice cast are returning, including John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala. Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, will play Kiara, the daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala. The 2019 film was directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson, who is returning to write “Mufasa.”
It was also revealed that Lin-Manuel Miranda is penning the film’s songs, produced by himself and Mark Mancina, with additional music and performances by Lebo M.
“Elton John. Tim Rice. Hans Zimmer. Lebo M. Mark Mancina. Beyoncé, Labrinth, Ilya Salmanzadeh. Beau Black, Ford Riley, the incredible music team on ‘The Lion Guard,’ and so many musical contributors over the years. ‘The Lion King’ has an incredible musical legacy with music from some of the greatest songwriters around, and I’m humbled and proud to be a part of it,” Miranda said in a statement. “It’s been a joy working alongside Barry Jenkins to bring Mufasa’s story to life, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience this film in theaters.”
New cast members include Tiffany Boone as Sarabi; Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki; Preston Nyman as Zazu; Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, a formidable lion with big plans for his pride; Thandiwe Newton as Taka’s mother, Eshe; Lennie James as Taka’s father, Obasi; Anika Noni Rose as Mufasa’s mother, Afia; and Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego.
“Helping my sister raise two young boys during the ’90s, I grew up with these characters. Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true,” Jenkins said of the prequel.
Considered one of Disney’s most successful properties, the original 1994 “Lion King” grossed $960 million worldwide, with the 2019 version grossing $1.6 billion at the global box office. The remake was also named one of Variety’s Critic’s Picks in 2019. In his review, chief film critic Peter Debruge wrote, “If you were never a fan of ‘The Lion King,’ then nothing here will win you over. On the other hand, for those too young ever to have seen it, this could be a life-changing experience, one that strives to create a kind of understanding between audiences and the animal kingdom that Disney once made a regular part of its mission, back in the era of films such as ‘The Legend of Lobo’ and ‘The Incredible Journey.’”