Disney has released the first trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King, Barry Jenkins’ continuation of the live-action Disney remake universe. It certainly has Mufasa. It certainly has a lot of other animals that exist in this trailer just for you to go “look, animals! Lion King!” It also has... Beyoncé’s daughter?
Okay, so Blue Ivy Carter is only in the trailer as a title card, sure, but she’s also part of the framing device that Jenkins is bringing to Mufasa—and perhaps the most intriguing thing about the movie so far, considering the teaser is simply just a National Geographic documentary fancam, but with more CG animal work than you can shake a lion’s mane at.
It turns out Blue Ivy will be playing Kiara, the daughter of Nala and Simba (with Beyoncé and Donald Glover, respectively, reprising their roles from the Lion King remake), who will be told the history of her legendary grandfather’s rise to power as the framing device for the film—as Rafiki (played by John Kani, and Kagiso Lediga as his younger self), with a few interjections from Timon and Pumbaa (Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen), recounts how he first cross paths with the young Mufasa (Aaron Pierre).
Also interesting? Just how insanely stacked the cast is. Here’s the full details Disney released this morning, alongside the fact that Lin-Manuel Miranda will write the film’s original songs:
- Aaron Pierre as Mufasa
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, a lion prince with a bright future who accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother
- 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
- Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego
- John Kani as Rafiki
- Seth Rogen as Pumbaa
- Billy Eichner as Timon
- Donald Glover as Simba
- Introducing Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara, daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala
- And Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala
Mufasa: The Lion King is set to hit theaters December 20.
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