Beyoncé And Blue Ivy Carter Star In Disney’s ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’
Beyoncé And Blue Ivy Carter will take their real-life relationship to the big screen, bringing a legendary fictional story to life.
The mother-daughter duo has been revealed as voice talent for Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King, directed by Barry Jenkins. In the prequel film, Mrs. Carter revisits her 2019 role from the live-action Lion King adaptation as Nala. The 12-year-old joins as Kiara, Nala, and Simba’s lion cub.
“Beyoncé is this larger-than-life figure, but when she’s working with her daughter, when she’s in the room with her daughter, she’s a mom first,” said the acclaimed filmmaker to Good Morning America. “So much of that energy bled into the film.”
He continued, “I think for them, too, they just approached it that they both wanted to perform and do the best they could. And yet, they didn’t have to pretend very much because they really are mother and daughter.”
John Kani (Rafiki), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Billy Eichner (Timon), and Donald Glover (Simba) join the COWBOY CARTER musician in reprising their respective roles from the 2019 live-action Lion King film. Aaron Pierre leads as Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as portrays Taka, Tiffany Boone portrays Sarabi, and Mads Mikkelsen portrays Kiros.
Additional casting includes 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, and Keith David as Mufasa’s father, Masego. Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, and Dominique Jennings also lend their voices to the world of Pride Rock.
Mufasa is set to feature original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, with additional music and performances from South African composer 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,” detailed Miranda in a statement.
“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.”
The official description for Mufasa: The Lion King reads as follows:
“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.”
Mufasa: The Lion King is produced by Adele Romanski & Mark Ceryak, and executive produced by Peter Tobyansen. The star-studded film is due in theaters on Dec. 20, 2024. Watch the official teaser trailer above.
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