What to know
Aaron Pierre voices a young Mufasa in Barry Jenkins’ Lion King prequel-sequel
Mufasa: The Lion King is an upcoming animated adventure film directed by Barry Jenkins for Disney.
What will Mufasa: The Lion King be about?
Mufasa: The Lion King serves as both a prequel to 2019’s The Lion King as well as a sequel to the hit film. It focuses on the backstory of the mighty Mufasa. The film adopts a storytelling approach similar to The Godfather Part II, where two timelines run concurrently, depicting separate but interconnected narratives. The 2019 version served as a live-action adaptation of 1994’s celebrated animated classic.
Who worked behind-the-scenes of Mufasa: The Lion King?
Barry Jenkins is an Academy Award winning director behind such works as Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk. Jeff Nathanson returns to craft the screenplay for Mufasa: The Lion King after also writing the screenplay for the 2019 film. Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak serve as the film's producers. The revered Hans Zimmer returns to compose the film's score after working on both the beloved 1994 animated classic and its 2019 adaptation, along with Pharrell Williams and Nicholas Britell.
Who is in the voice cast in Mufasa: The Lion King?
Aaron Pierre takes on the role of young Mufasa, succeeding the iconic James Earl Jones who portrayed Mufasa in both the original animated film and its live-action remake. Kelvin Harrison Jr. steps in as the younger Scar, following Jeremy Irons and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner reprise their roles as Timon and Pumbaa, narrating the story that predominantly takes place before The Lion King. John Kani also returns as Rafiki. Additional cast members include Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter.