Disney never seems to get tired of giving us prequels to our favorite stories, and now it’s The Lion King’s turn. But this time, instead of following Simba and Nala’s story, we’ll witness Mufasa’s life. The best part? Beyoncé and her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, are part of the project.
On April 29, Disney released the first official trailer for the prequel, and even though the video doesn’t showcase the voice work of Beyoncé and her now co-star, Blue Ivy Carter, the promise of hearing them sing in the film has thrilled fans. In the prequel, Beyoncé will play Nala, as she did in the 2019 live-action remake of the 1994 Lion King, and Blue Ivy will play Kiara, the daughter of Nala and Simba.
According to director Barry Jenkins, who spoke to ABC, “I was very pleased that both Beyoncé and Blue Ivy were willing to do it, and watching them work together was truly special.” He added, “Beyoncé is an exuberant presence, but when she’s working with her daughter, when she’s in the room with her daughter, she’s a mom first. A lot of that energy made its way into the movie.”
The Mufasa trailer shows scenes from Simba’s father’s journey as he grows from a lion cub into the king of everything the light touches. The closing credits reveal the main cast: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Mads Mikkelsen, and Thandiwe Newton, followed by “Introducing Blue Ivy Carter with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.”
