“Mufasa: The Lion King ”trailer highlights a new side of Mufasa and Scar's brotherhood

The prequel, which is told through a series of flashbacks, follows the adventures of young Mufasa and Scar.

Before they were kings of the Pride Lands, they were Taka and Mufasa.

The unlikely brotherhood between the pair of legendary lions takes center stage in the official trailer for Disney’s photorealistic Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King. Told through a series of flashbacks, the film follows the origin story of orphaned cub Mufasa (Braelyn Rankins) after he is saved by young prince Taka (Theo Somolu), better known as Scar.

“Long before they became legends, Mufasa and the prince who would come to be known as Scar became brothers,” Rafiki (John Kani) tells Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), the daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé), in the clip.

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Related: Blue Ivy joins mom Beyoncé as Simba and Nala's daughter in Mufasa — watch the first trailer

As the pair grow older, they find themselves fighting for their lives as they go toe-to-toe against a rival pack of lions that appear to be making a claim for the throne. The clip also features spotlight appearances from Lion King fan favorites like Rafiki, Timon (Billy Eichner), Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), and Zazu (John Oliver).

The trailer was first unveiled by director Barry Jenkins at the studio’s D23 fan event in Anaheim, Calif., on Friday. “Hearing the music and hearing every emotion as the story unfolded… A young lion rising to meet his destiny,” the filmmaker explained. “Telling Mufasa’s backstory [is an honor].”

Lion King fans in attendance also got to hear an original song from the upcoming film— titled “I Always Wanted a Brother” — by award-winning songwriter, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Related: Barry Jenkins says Mufasa prequel will have 'a ton of familiar faces,' 'wonderful musical numbers'

"Honestly, when Barry sent me the screenplay I was in the middle of writing Encanto… you think you know Mufasa, you think you know Scar, but you have no idea," Miranda said at the event. "I'm just thrilled to be here and supporting the work. I could talk about these songs all day."

Jenkins also welcomed the film's cast — including Rogen, Eichner, Somolu, Rankins, Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Anika Noni Rose — to the stage as part of the festivities. They concluded the evening with a performance by Lebo M. of the Lion King song "Nants' Ingonyama," as well as a new track, "Ngomso."

Mufasa: The Lion King roars into theaters on Dec. 20, 2024. Watch the trailer above.

—Additional reporting by Ashley Boucher  

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.