Disney released the first trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King.
Directed by Barry Jenkins, the music-filled film serves as both an origin story and a follow-up to Jon Favreau’s photorealistic 2019 film. The Lion King. This film was based on the 1994 Disney animated classic of the same name.
The new film, which hits theaters on December 20, will tell the story of Simba’s father, Mufasa, an orphan who grew up to become a wise, powerful and compassionate ruler.
Aaron Pierre voices the title character (voiced by James Earl Jones in the previous two films), while Kelvin Harrison Jr. voices his evil brother, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor in the 2019 film and Jeremy Irons in the 1994 animated classic ).
Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen will return as Timon and Pumbaa, respectively, reprising their roles from Favreau’s 2019 film. That film grossed a total of $1.7 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the marquee film Disney’s highest grossing of all time.
Earlier this month, Jenkins was on hand at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to debut the first trailer for theater owners.
“It’s a big adventure,” he told attendees, adding: “Audiences can expect so much from this film: an epic story and a comedy with lots of familiar faces. There are absolutely hilarious moments and others with extreme seriousness.
He noted that the film will also feature a lineup of all new songs.
“They’re handcuffing me, so I can’t tell you who made these songs, but I promise you the songs are absolutely incredible,” he said.
