The trailer of Mufasa: The Lion King is here! The highly anticipated prequel by Disney, which is helmed by Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, imagines the journey of Simba's father and how he achieves power. The story is based on Disney’s 1994 animated classic, The Lion King, which was adapted by Jon Favreau in 2019.

About the trailer

The trailer begins with the sprawling setting of the forest where the animal kingdom resides in harmony. It gives a tease of the adventures of Mufasa and the friends he makes along the way, along with a number of adventures that shape his journey. The cast includes John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala.

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.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda has written the film’s songs. The 2019 film was directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson.

Fan reactions

Reacting to the trailer, a fan wrote: “This looks quite impressive and promising than its predecessor...” A second fan commented, “Hopefully, with Barry Jenkins directing this, it will be something special. Here's hoping.” A comment read, “I guess from this trailer we see where Simba got his adventurous vibe from. I thought he was just curious but now it feels like he got it from his father.” “I’m actually surprised. The environments look more beautiful and more colorful and the animals have more expression and life into them. I’m pretty excited,” said another.

Mufasa: The Lion King hits theatres on December 20.

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