Disney Unveils the Teaser Trailer for ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’

Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub when he meets Taka, a lion prince and the heir to a royal bloodline. Taka accepts Mufasa into his family as a brother and their chance meeting kicks off an expansive journey, as they work together to reach their destiny while evading a threatening and deadly foe.

Mufasa: The Lion King is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, and it stars Aaron Pierre as the title character and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka. Donald Glover and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter return as Simba and Nala from The Lion King. Also returning is the iconic South African actor John Kani, who plays the role of Rafiki.

Fellow South African actor Kagiso Lediga, creator ofQueen Sono, acts as Young Rafiki, while British Zimbabwean actress Thandiwe Newton plays Eshe, the mother of lion prince Taka. Amongst those rounding out the cast are South African actress Thuso Mbedu, Nigerian actress Folake Olowofoyeku, and British Ugandan actress Sheila Atim.

Adding to the film’s African representation, producer and artist Lebo M contributes additional music and performances to the soundtrack, continuing to put his stamp on The Lion King franchise from screen to stage. Songs for Mufasa: The Lion King were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Mufasa blends live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery. Watch the first teaser trailer below