‘Mufasa’ Teaser Reveals First Footage from ‘The Lion King’ Prequel

Barry Jenkins’ “The Lion King” prequel has unveiled its first footage.

Following Jenkins’ appearance at the Disney panel at CinemaCon, the story of the unlikely rise of the titular king of the Pride Lands comes to life. “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki (John Kani) to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), with Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) lending their signature schtick.

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Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), 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.

The cast also includes Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Kagiso Lediga, Tiffany Boone, Lennie James, Preston Nyman, Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, and Dominique Jennings.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is writing the film’s songs, which he’ll produce with. There will be additional music and performances by Lebo M.

“‘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,” Miranda said in a press statement. “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. 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.”

Oscar winner Jenkins directs the Disney feature from a script by Jeff Nathanson. The film is produced by Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak, and executive produced by Peter Tobyansen. Jenkins said during CinemaCon that “Mufasa” is a “very personal film” for him that he felt needed to have a “massive heart.”

“As I was reading this wonderful script, I was thinking about Mufasa, and why he’s great, and how people become great,” Jenkins said. “I was on stage at the Oscars with ‘Moonlight.’ And I was there, and five of my best friends from college were also there. And what you’ll learn from the story is that Mufasa is who he is, is great, because of the family and the friends that he has. And so I saw myself in that. I thought: ‘This is a really beautiful story to tell.’”

“Mufasa: The Lion King” premieres December 20 in theaters. Check out the teaser below.

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