Disney on Monday released the first trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King.

Directed by Barry Jenkins, the music-filled film serves as both an origin story and follow-up to Jon Favreau’s 2019 photorealistic movie The Lion King. That film was based on the 1994 Disney animated classic of the same name.

Along with the trailer release, it was revealed that Blue Ivy Carter will make her film debut voicing Kiara, daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala, while her mother, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, will reprise her role as Nala from the 2019 film.

The new film, which hits theaters Dec. 20, will tell the backstory of Simba’s father, Mufasa, an orphan who grew up to be a wise, powerful and compassionate ruler.

The official logline is as follows: “Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. 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.”

Aaron Pierre voices the title character (voiced by James Earl Jones in both of the previous films), while Kelvin Harrison Jr. voices his brother, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor in the 2019 film and Jeremy Irons in the 1994 animated classic), though he’s listed in the credits as Taka, a lion prince with a bright future who accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother.

Source:hollywoodreporter.com