Kelvin Harrison Jr. & Aaron Pierre To Voice Young Mufasa & Scar In Barry Jenkins’ ‘The Lion King’ Prequel
Christian Hubbard
Posted On August 26, 2021
In 2019, Disney’s live-action remake of arguably its most celebrated animated film, The Lion King, earned over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Despite receiving mixed reactions from fans and critics alike, the film is undoubtedly a triumph for CG filmmaking technology. Last fall, it was revealed the Disney was looking to produce a Lion King prequel with Moonlight director Barry Jenkins at the helm. Now, as first reported by Deadline, the film is beginning to move forward with Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre joining the cast in prominent roles.
Per the initial report, The Underground Railroad star Aaron Pierre will voice a young Mufasa in the film. Moreover, The Trial Of The Chicago 7 star Kelvin Harrison Jr. is voicing Taka, the birth name of Scar. Jenkins will direct the feature with a script penned by the original film’s scribe Jeff Nathanson (Rush Hour 2). Moreover, The film’s music will be created by Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams. Notably, the prequel will explore the origins of Mufasa and Scar while expanding their motivations and mythology.
READ: Corey Hawkins To Star In Warner Bros’ ‘The Color Purple’ Musical Adaptation
The Lion King stars Donald Glover, Billy Eichner, James Earl Jones, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Seth Rogen, and John Oliver. In her review of the film, Full Circle’s Jacqueline Lainez says “The Lion King is visually amazing but fails to bring anything new to the table that the original did not already bring audiences.”
Kelvin Harrison Jr. broke out via roles in films like Ender’s Game and 12 Years a Slave. Up next, the multihyphenate will portray the legendary BB King opposite Austin Butler in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. Meanwhile, Aaron Pierre recently turned heads in a memorable role in M. Night Shyamalan’s Old. Additionally, his TV roles in Amazon’s The Underground Railroad and DC’s Krypton.
What do you think? Are you excited about a Lion King 2? Let us know in the comments below!
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