Before returning to the Pride Lands on December 20, Disney debuted eight new character posters featuring the “mane” cast of Mufasa: The Lion King. Part prequel and part sequel to 2019’s The Lion King, the new film from Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk and Moonlight) tells the story of an orphan who would one day be king of the Pride Lands: a young Mufasa (Rebel Ridge‘s Aaron Pierre, replacing the late James Earl Jones). Through flashbacks, Rafiki (John Kani) relays the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter in her film debut), daughter of King Simba (Donald Glover) and Queen Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter).
Along with the return of the Hakuna Matata-singing duo of meerkat Timon (Billy Eichner) and warthog Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), the posters released by Disney France feature Zazu (Preston Nyman, replacing John Oliver) and the young Rafiki (Kagiso Lediga). The lion’s pride includes Mufasa’s future queen, Sarabi (Tiffany Boone); his adoptive brother Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who will eventually take the name Scar; and the white lion king Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen).
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The cast includes Thandiwe Newton (Solo: A Star Wars Story) as Taka’s mother, Eshe; Lennie James (Fear the Walking Dead) as Taka’s father, Obasi; Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog) as Mufasa’s mother, Afia; and Keith David (Spawn) as Mufasa’s father, Masego. Additional voices include Braelyn Rankins (Lady and the Tramp) as cub Mufasa; Theo Somolu (Mighty Express) as cub Taka; and Folake Olowofoyeku (Bob Hearts Abishola), Joanna Jones (Good Trouble), Thuso Mbedu (The Woman King), Sheila Atim (Pinocchio), Abdul Salis (The Wheel of Time) and Dominique Jennings (Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild).
Mufasa: The Lion King “introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka — the heir to a royal bloodline,” per the official synopsis. “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.”
“This is just a piece of the dream cast we’ve assembled to bring Mufasa and Scar’s story to life,” Jenkins said during Disney’s D23 convention. “[1994’s] The Lion King made an indelible mark on me. Hearing the music and feeling every emotion as the story unfolded: a father bestowing a legacy upon his son, a pride torn apart and rebuilt anew, and a young lion rising to meet his destiny. Telling Mufasa’s backstory is an absolute honor.”
Featuring new music by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Moana) and original Lion King collaborators Mark Mancina and Lebo M., Mufasa: The Lion King roars into theaters Dec. 20.
Aaron Pierre as the voice of Mufasa
Kelvin Harrison Jr. as the voice of Taka/Scar
Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen as the voices of Timon and Pumbaa
Tiffany Boone as the voice of Sarabi
Preston Nyman as the voice of Zazu
Kagiso Lediga as Rafiki
Mads Mikkelsen as the voice of Kiros
Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara
