The Lion King prequel is officially underway, as Deadline is reporting that Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre are set to star in the upcoming film.
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According to the report, production is already underway on the film, with Moonlight director Barry Jenkins set to dive into the mythology of the iconic characters from the original and beloved Disney film. The report specifically notes that things like Mufasa’s origin story are something that Jenkins seems eager to explore.
As far as casting goes, The Underground Railroad’s Pierre will play Mufasa, while Harrison Jr.—best known for his role in Waves — will play Taka, who is better known as Scar by the time fans meet him in The Lion King. Additional cast members are currently unknown, but if it’s anything like the latest live-action adaptation of The Lion King, expect some huge names to join the film.
Deadline notes that the untitled prequel will continue to use the photorealistic animation style that the latest live-action film did. Screenwriter Jeff Nathanson — the writer of the previous live-action film — is also involved in the prequel.
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2019’s The Lion King was a smash hit despite a lukewarm reception by critics and fans, earning over $1.6 billion at the box office. The film featured a star-studded cast including Donald Glover (Atlanta, Solo: A Star Wars Story) as future-king Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Dreamgirls, “Lemonade” visual album) as Simba’s friend-turned-love interest Nala, and James Earl Jones (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Field of Dreams) as Simba’s wise and loving father, Mufasa, among many other stars.
