The king has returned at D23, with the event offering a new look at the Disney live-action prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King. Friday’s events ended with a full trailer of the movie (watch the video above), while the thousands of D23 attendees were given a private look at a scene from the movie which features Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new song, “I Always Wanted a Brother.” According to Deadline, the song “appears in a scene where Mufasa and Scar are young cubs. They quickly become friends and, eventually, more like siblings as the song progresses and they grow into young adults.”
Directed by Barry Jenkins and written by Jeff Nathanson, the live-action prequel/sequel stars Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka (who becomes Scar), Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki, Preston Nyman as Zazu, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Donald Glover as Simba, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala. The rest of the cast includes Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, and Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala.
You can check out the official synopsis for Mufasa: The Lion King below.
“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.
Mufasa: The Lion King Is Due to Land in Theaters in December
Known for the likes of the Oscar winning Moonlight and the equally acclaimed If Beale Street Could Talk, directing Mufasa: The Lion King seems like a real change of pace for filmmaker Barry Jenkins. The filmmaker has since explained why he was drawn to the Disney movie, revealing that it will act as both a prequel and a sequel to the hugely successful 2019 outing.
“I think you’ll see a ton of familiar faces. It is a prequel, but again, it’s a prequel in the sense that these are all the same characters, but we’re telling you how they came to be who they are,” the director explained. So we’re literally going backward. We’re going back in time with many of these characters. We’re in the present, as well, but we’re also going back to tell who these characters were.”
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The prequel element will include a backstory for the iconic Disney villain Scar, with actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. having previously teased a very different take on the character.
“We’re going to get to really get a backstory to Scar, and he is hilarious. He is still very, very spicy. He is also the sweetest young lion you also ever meet, too. So, it’s going to be fun seeing the relationship between Scar and Mufasa.”
Mufasa: The Lion King
is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 20, 2024.
