On April 29, Walt Disney Studios released the first official teaser for Mufasa: The Lion King. The Barry Jenkins-directed film is a prequel to the 2019 remake of the classic animated musical.
According to Good Morning America, plans for the film were first revealed back in September 2020.
According to Disney, the movie tells the story, through flashbacks, of a young, orphaned Mufasa meeting Taka (later becoming Scar), who is in line for the throne. The two cubs become friends, and somewhere along the way, “their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.”
Ahead, everything to know about Mufasa: The Lion King.
When does it come out?
Mufasa: The Lion King hits theaters on December 20, 2024.
Can I watch a trailer?
Following the teasers above, Disney shared the official trailer on November 8, revealing Mufasa and Taka’s journeys as young lions. The preview starts with a scene between Rafiki and Simba’s daughter, Kiara, voiced by Blue Ivy Carter. As Rafiki begins telling the story of Mufasa, Kiara tells him, “Rafiki, keep going!” Watch below.
Who is in the cast?
Beyoncé will be reprising her role as Nala, and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter, will be joining her as Kiara, the daughter of Queen Nala and King Simba, voiced by Donald Glover.
Aaron Pierre will be playing Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. is Taka, Tiffany Boone is Sarabi, Kagiso Lediga is Young Rafiki, Preston Nymon is Zazu, Mads Mikkelsen is Kiros, “a formidable lion with big plans for his pride,” Thandiwe Newton is Taka’s mother, Eshe. Lennie James is listed as Taka’s father, Obasi, Ankia Noni Rose as Mufasa’s father, Masego, John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, and Bill Eichner as Timon.
According to a press release from Disney, Lin-Manuel Miranda is credited as the film’s songwriter, and is co-producing the songs alongside Mark Mancina.
“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. 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,” Miranda told Disney.
Barry Jenkins, who won the Best Picture Oscar for Moonlight, spoke to Deadline in September 2020 about taking on this project.
“Helping my sister raise two young boys during the ’90s, I grew up with these characters,” he said of The Lion King. “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.”
The publication also reported of the film’s format: “Moving the story forward while looking back conjures memories of The Godfather: Part II, set on the African plain with a continuation of the tradition of music that was a key part of the 1994 animated classic, the 2019 film and the blockbuster Broadway stage transfer.”
Bri is the editorial and social media assistant at ELLE.com. Before joining the team at ELLE, she worked as the editorial assistant for Seventeen.com and Cosmopolitan.com where she covered all things celebrity news and pop culture. You can probably find her sipping an oatmilk iced chai while searching for the best new makeup products or thrifting her entire wardrobe.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.