Yahoo Movies How does Mufasa fit into the Lion King timeline?
Disney’s live-action reboot gets the prequel treatment
Disney invites you to revisit its photo-realistic digital savannah one more time for Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel story to director Jon Favreau’s 2019 live-action retooling of the studio’s 1994 animated classic.
As head honcho of Pride Rock and father to his reluctant future heir Simba, Mufasa ruled over the beasts of his land with a fair yet feared reign — but how did he arrive at this place of power? Using the latest computer-animated technology, Disney hopes to fill in the blanks of Mufasa’s youth, showing us the previously unseen story of the cub who would be king.
The blockbuster, helmed by Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, is due to roar into cinemas on Friday, 20 December, and will later be available to stream on Disney+. Eager to find out more? Read on for all the key details surrounding Mufasa: The Lion King.
How does Mufasa fit into the Lion King timeline?
Like any good prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King promises to shed new light on the untold story of how a beloved and heroic character came to be. To do this, Jenkins will bring us back to a time when Mufasa and Scar were young siblings, chronicling the events that helped to forge the characters they ultimately become.
Told in flashbacks, the film will enlist mandrill Rafiki to relay the story to Simba and Nala’s daughter Kiara, voiced by Blue Ivy Carter — who is the 12-year-old daughter of music superstars Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
The film’s official synopsis reads: “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.”
Who is starring in Mufasa: The Lion King?
Several of the stars of Favreau’s 2019 live-action reboot of The Lion King are back for the prequel, with Donald Glover and Beyoncé leading the way as Simba and Nala respectively.
Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen will be back as meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa, while Black Panther star John Kani will once again provide the voice of mystic baboon Rafiki. English stage actor Aaron Pierre will voice a young Mufasa — taking over from legendary actor James Earl Jones, who played the character in Disney’s animated original and Favreau’s remake.
As mentioned above, Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter will make her acting debut as Kiara, daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala.
Elvis actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. will inherit the role of Simba’s evil younger brother Scar, while Fantastic Beats star Mads Mikkelsen will play Kiros, a formidable lion with big plans for his pride
Other new additions to the star-studded cast include Keith David as Mufasa’s father Masego, and Thandiwe Newton as Scar’s mother Eshe.
Mufasa: The Lion King will be released in cinemas on Friday, 20 December
