Last night, Disney's show-stopping "Entertainment Showcase" panel concluded with Mufasa: The Lion King director Barry Jenkins, songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, and cast members Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Theo Somolu, Braelyn Rankins, and Anika Noni Rose hitting the stage.
They debuted an exciting new trailer and poster for the movie which you can now view below (via Toonado.com).
The highly anticipated prequel capped the studio's presentation with a show-stopping performance of the classic "Nants' Ingonyama" and the new song "Ngomso" by Lebo M., who contributes to the film’s music, alongside a full choir.
Visually, this sneak peek is nothing short of breathtaking. 2019's The Lion King looked incredible, but the past 5 years have seen technology advance even further and the result is a truly photorealistic landscape and ultra-realistic (talking) animals.
As for what's revealed in this latest sneak peek, we learn more about the brotherhood between Mufasa and Scar as young lions and meet the movie's formidable villain. There's also the expected tease of Mufasa's eventual rise to power and plenty of familiar faces from The Lion King.
Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, 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.
In addition to the cast attending D23 this year, the movie also features John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Keith David, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
Blending live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery, the all-new feature film is produced by Adele Romanski & Mark Ceryak, and executive produced by Peter Tobyansen.
Mufasa: The Lion King releases only in theaters on December 20, 2024.