Stars of Mufasa: The Lion King take over London premiere

Stars of the much-anticipated Lion King prequel have stepped out in full glamour to celebrate the film at its UK premiere.

Mufasa: The Lion King, which follows the 2019 remake of the 1994 Disney animated classic, explores the titular lion’s origin story and his unlikely rise to king of the pride lands.

Told in flashbacks, the film enlists mandrill Rafiki to relay the story to Simba and Nala’s daughter Kiara, voiced by Blue Ivy Carter – who is the daughter of music superstars Beyonce and Jay-Z.

The family appeared at the Los Angeles premiere of the film, with Beyonce writing on Instagram: “You worked hard and you did such a beautiful job as the voice of Kiara. Your family could not be prouder. Keep shining.”

It came days after Jay-Z said he was at the centre of a “blackmail attempt” after he was named in a US lawsuit which alleged he raped a 13-year-old girl along with Sean “Diddy” Combs.

The upcoming film follows Mufasa as an orphaned cub who meets a lion prince named Taka who accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother and sets in motion a journey of “an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny”, Disney said.

It also features James Bond and Indiana Jones star Mads Mikkelsen, as the formidable antagonist Kiros who is leader of a pride of white lions.

Mikkelsen posed at the premiere outside Cineworld Leicester Square in London in a black three-piece ensemble, as stars of the film arrived.

Directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, the production comes alive with music from Hamilton composer Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Jenkins was wearing an orange suit on the carpet of the premiere, in what appeared to be a nod to lion’s fur.

Reprising their roles as meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan lend their their signature schtick while Donald Glover and Beyonce return to voice Simba and Nala.

Rogan posed at the UK premiere on the sand-coloured carpet in a three-piece beige ensemble alongside his wife, comedian and actress Lauren Miller, in green and pink.

Eichner wore a navy double-breasted jacket and grey turtle neck jumper.

The film features a star-studded roster of talent, including British star Aaron Pierre as Mufasa and Kelvin Harrison Jr as Taka.

Mufasa: The Lion King is due to be released in UK cinemas on December 20.