Disney debuted its first teaser trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King. This comes well ahead of the film’s arrival in theaters on December 20th. The trailer gives a glimpse at what fans will be experiencing when this movie hits the big screen later this year. Along with releasing the trailer, Disney also shared about the cast for the film. The musicians bringing the score and songs to life have also been revealed. Mufasa: The Lion King is the origin story of Mufasa, as told by Rafiki to Simba and Nala’s lion cub Kiara.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is writing the film’s songs, which are being produced by Mark Mancina. There will also be additional music and performances by Lebo M. “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. 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,” Miranda said.
Barry Jenkins is the director for Mufasa: The Lion King. The film, like its predecessor The Lion King, will blend live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery. It will see characters from the previous movie return, and also introduce some new ones. Check out the trailer here:
Mufasa: The Lion King Teaser Trailer
Mufasa: The Lion King Official Description
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.
Disney
The Cast
The cast for Mufasa: The Lion King has both new and returning actors who are lending their voices to bring the characters to life in this film. They include:
- 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
There are also Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis and Dominique Jennings joining the cast.
Along with releasing the cast and the trailer, a new poster was also shared for the flick.
History of The Lion King
The Lion King first debuted in 1994 as an animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios. It had a similar story to Hamlet and told how a young Simba became the king after his father died. It was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, with music by Elton John. The success of the film led to The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (1998), The Lion King 1½ (2004), The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (2015), and the photorealistic version of The Lion King (2019).
A version of The Lion King also opened on Broadway in 1997 and has toured around the world and been seen by millions. It also has appeared on a variety of stages in Disney theme parks through the years as well. Recently, an adaptation of it appeared at Disneyland in the Fantasyland Theater. Currently, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has The Festival of The Lion King being offered on a daily basis.
So What Do You Think?
The teaser trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King looks to be full of action, adventure, and hopefully heart as well. The trailer is also packed full of nostalgia. The music also is off to a good start. It will be great to hear more of the soundtrack. With Lin-Manuel Miranda writing the songs, this should be a fun one to listen to.
A few questions popped into mind while watching this trailer, though. First off, why is this story being told? Presumably it has something to do with Kiara learning a life lesson about a certain situation. My second big question is how does Scar fit into all of this? Are Mufasa and Scar not really brothers? Are they long-lost brothers? This might not be known until December 20th.
Overall, this trailer does exactly what it needs to do. It teases a movie that isn’t coming out until the end of the year. It also confirms that this film will feel like The Lion King. While the film is still months away, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing it when it arrives in December!
What did you think of this trailer? Are you excited about this movie? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below! Also join the conversation on the Daps Magic Patreon! Let’s geek out about this movie together!
