Disney revealed an extended look at its upcoming release “Mufasa: The Lion King” at D23 on Friday night.
Mufasa: The Lion King | Official Trailer
Before that, singers walked onstage and performed a snippet of the film's opening number before director Barry Jenkins appeared. "Like all of you, 'The Lion King' has left an indelible impression on me," Jenkins said. "Hearing the music and feeling every emotion as the story unfolded, a father giving a legacy to his son, a pride being rebuilt and a young lion rising to his destiny. Telling his story is an absolute honor."
Jenkins also announced that Lin-Manuel Miranda will write the film's original songs. Miranda received a standing ovation when he and Jenkins previewed the song, "I Always Wanted a Brother."
The “Lion King” prequel is set before the events of the 2019 live-action photorealistic reimagining and is directed by Jenkins. “Mufasa” focuses on the formative years of the eventual ruler of Pride Rock, as well as his menacing younger brother Scar. Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. lead the voice talent as younger versions of Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones in the 1994 film and 2019 remake) and Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons in the 1994 version and Chiwetel Ejiofor in the 2019 remake). Beyoncé Knowles-Carter returns to voice Nala; her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, will play Kiara, the daughter of King Samba and Queen Nala.