American superstar and legend, Beyonce Knowles-Carter and her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter are set to feature in a prequel to a 2019 Disney classic titled ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’.
The musical film, which was directed by Barry Jenkins, is a prequel and a sequel to Jon Favreau’s 2019 photorealistic film The Lion King. The same-titled 1994 Disney animated blockbuster served as the inspiration for that movie.
The teaser also announced that Beyoncé Knowles-Carter will play Nala again like in the 2019 movie and that Blue Ivy Carter will be voicing Kiara, the daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala.
The new movie, which debuts in theatres on December 20, 2024, will chronicle the life of Simba’s father, Mufasa, an orphan who became a knowledgeable, strong, and kind king.
“Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka — the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny — their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.”
While Kelvin Harrison Jr. voices his brother Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons in the 1994 animated classic and Chiwetel Ejiofor in the 2019 film), Aaron Pierre voices the title character (voiced by James Earl Jones in both of the previous films). However, Taka, a lion prince with a bright future who welcomes Mufasa into his family as a brother, is listed in the credits.
Timon and Pumbaa, played by Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, respectively, will make a comeback in Favreau’s 2019 film. At the box office worldwide, the film brought in a whopping $1.7 billion, making it the highest-grossing Disney-branded film ever.
In addition, Mads Mikkelsen plays Kiros, a ferocious lion with ambitious plans for his pride; Thandiwe Newton plays Taka’s mother, Eshe; Lennie James plays Taka’s father, Obasi; Anika Noni Rose plays Mufasa’s mother, Afia; Keith David plays Mufasa’s father, Masego; and John Kani plays Rafiki. Donald Glover reprises his role as Simba from the 2019 film.
Additional cast members include Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, and Dominique Jennings.
The songs for the movie are written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Jenkins introduced the first teaser trailer to theatre owners earlier this month at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
“It’s an expansive adventure. Audiences can expect so many things in this film — an epic story and a comedy with plenty of familiar faces. There are some absolutely hilarious moments and some with extreme gravitas”, Jenkins said.
The Lion King and any sequels are a classic and we are going to see it come December! Yay!
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW;