The first trailer for Mufasa has arrived and it gives us our best look yet at the live-action prequel to The Lion King that is set to roar into theaters on December 20, 2024.
The trailer starts with a new version of Circle of Life and we hear John Kani's Rafiki retelling the story of Mufasa, a "lion who would change our lives forever."
In this tale, Mufasa is a lion who was "born without a drop of nobility in his blood" but rose up to greatness despite his beginnings. The official description of the film reveals that Mufasa's whole story is being told to Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala who is being played by Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy Carter. Beyonce will also return as Nala.
"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," the official description reads. "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 James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa in the original The Lion King and the live-action remake, Aaron Pierre will be taking on the legendary role this time as his younger version.
Pierre will be joined by Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, a "lion prince with a bright future who accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother," and Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, a "formidable lion with big plans for his pride."
The rest of the cast includes Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Kagiso Lediga as Young Rafiki, Preston Nyman as Zazu, 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, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, and Donald Glover as Simba.
Mufasa: The Lion King is directed by Barry Jenkins and will see Lin-Manuel Miranda writing the film's songs and producing them alongside Mark Mancina. Additional musical and performances are being done by Lebo M.
Much like the original remake, Mufasa will be a blend of "live-action filmmaking techiques with photoreal computer generated imagery."
In our The Lion King review, we said that "Disney delivers their most successful remake yet. A strong cast, outstanding visuals, and the classic animal-centric take on Hamlet make this infinitely more watchable than some of the studio's previous retellings. The only issue here is that The Lion King is a beat-for-beat adaptation that will make even the coldest hearts warm with nostalgia but could potentially disappoint those looking for a new take on the iconic story."
For more from the world of Disney, check out Jenkins comments on the movie that helped convince him to make this prequel, the other upcoming Disney and Pixar movies, and our Ultimate Pixar Fest 2024 at Disneyland Guide
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Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
