Lin-Manuel Miranda was noticeably absent from Moana 2. Miranda, who received an Oscar nomination for the song “How Far I’ll Go” in Moana, did not work on the music for the sequel. Instead, Miranda was the composer and lyricist on Mufasa: The Lion King.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Miranda explained how he never chose between working on Mufasa over Moana 2. Rather, the shift from a Moana TV show into Moana 2 played a factor in why Miranda couldn’t work on the sequel.
“It didn’t line up that way actually,” Miranda said. “I got the script for Mufasa when I had just finished Encanto, and so I started working on that at the top of ’22. So, Moana 2 was already in process as a TV series with Emily [Bear] and Abigail [Barlow]. So then, when that decision got made to turn that into a movie, they were already cooking.”
Who is involved with Lin-Manuel Miranda on Mufasa?
Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel about the origins of Mufasa, the lion who one day grows up to be the future king of the Pride Lands. Aaron Pierre voices Mufasa while Kelvin Harrison Jr. voices Taka, the lion later known as Scar.
“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,” Disney’s official synopsis 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 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.”
Mufasa: The Lion King’s ensemble features Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, John Kani, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
Oscar winner Barry Jenkins directs Mufasa from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson. Mark Ceryak and Adele Romanski are producers.
Mufasa: The Lion King opens in theaters on December 20, 2024.
(Source: The Hollywood Reporter)
