Mufasa: The Lion King is set to captivate audiences once again.
At the D23 fan event in Anaheim, California on Aug. 9, Walt Disney Studios unveiled a full trailer for the movie, a prequel to 2019’s wildly successful live-action reimagining of The Lion King. Following a teaser released in April featuring Rafiki’s narration and a glimpse of young Mufasa set to the iconic Circle of Life, this trailer dives deeper into the emotional journey.
The new film will explore Mufasa’s origin story, showing his transformation from an orphaned cub to the revered king of the Pride Lands. It also delves into his tumultuous relationship with his brother Taka, who later becomes known as Scar. Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, makes appearances, alongside beloved characters like Timon and Pumbaa.
What you’ll learn from the story is that Mufasa is who he is… because of the family and the friends that he has,
said director Barry Jenkins at Disney’s D23 Expo back in 2022. And so I saw myself in that. I thought: ‘This is a really beautiful story to tell.’
The return of this cherished franchise will feature familiar voices from the 2019 installment. Donald Glover reprises his role as Simba; Seth Rogen returns as Pumbaa; Billy Eichner voices Timon; John Kani brings Rafiki to life, and Beyoncé lends her voice to Nala.
Joining them are fresh faces: Aaron Pierre as young Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as young Scar (following Jeremy Irons’ original portrayal), Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, Thandiwe Newton as Eshe, Lennie James as Obasi, and Blue Ivy Carter making her silver screen debut as Kiara. As many recall, Blue Ivy became the youngest individual Grammy winner in 2021 for her contribution to Beyoncé’s Brown Skin Girl, part of The Lion King: The Gift.
I feel like Blue grew quite a bit over the course of that tour,
Jenkins told PEOPLE in April 2024. The movie is kind of like this snapshot, this time capsule of a moment in their lives that I think is really beautiful. And it absolutely worked for the film.
This episode continues the musical legacy with new original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, known for his work on Moana and Encanto. He expressed, 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.
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