6 Things to Know About Disney's 'Mufasa: The Lion King': Release Date, Cast and More

Mufasa: The Lion King will focus on Mufasa's life before he became Simba's father and the ruler 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," the synopsis on Disney's website reads.

"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 summary continues. "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."

Walt Disney released the first official trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King. The short video gives fans a glimpse at the animal's past and present as it shows his adventures.

Rafiki's voiceover says, "This story begins far beyond the mountains and the shadows on the other side of the light."

Beyoncé reprises her role as Nala in Mufasa: The Lion King while her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, joins the cast as Kiara.

Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nymon, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, John Kani, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner are also among the new and returning cast members.

Instead of Jon Favreau, who directed The Lion King remake, Barry Jenkins was tapped to direct Mufasa: The Lion King.

"Helping my sister raise two young boys during the '90s, I grew up with these characters," Jenkins said in a statement to Deadline in 2020. "Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true."

Jeff Nathanson, who wrote Favreau's film, also worked on the upcoming project.

A press release also disclosed that Lin-Manuel Miranda worked as the film's songwriter and co-producer alongside Mark Mancina.

"Elton John. Tim Rice. Hans Zimmer. Lebo M. Mark Mancina. Beyoncé, Labrinth, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Beau Black, Ford Riley, the incredible music team on The Lion Guard, and so many musical contributors over the years," Miranda told Disney. "The Lion King has an incredible musical legacy with music from some of the greatest songwriters around, and I'm humbled and proud to be a part of it. It's been a joy working alongside Barry Jenkins to bring Mufasa's story to life, and we can't wait for audiences to experience this film in theaters."

In 2020, sources told Good Morning America that a new Lion King film was in the works. They also said Jenkins would be the director.