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Beyoncé's eldest daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, is working on her first movie role as Kiara, the daughter of King Simba (played by Donald Glover) and Queen Nala (played by Beyoncé) in Mufasa: The Lion King. While the world has yet to see Blue's acting skills, Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins assured Entertainment Weekly that while the rising star will not be singing in the movie, she is an impressive actress.
"Blue Ivy doesn't sing in the movie. She is a thespian! I gotta be honest about that. She is a thespian," Jenkins told the publication about the daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Beyoncé had previously voiced Nala in 2019, however, Blue Ivy is being introduced with a new character. The original cast is back for the animated movie. Fans of The Lion King remember Kiara in the 1998 movie ‘The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.’
The movie will reportedly have a Latino touch and feature new music composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is known for writing music for Moana, Encanto, The Little Mermaid, and more. Miranda is working alongside Mark Mancina, with additional music and performances by Lebo M. "For me, working with Lin was amazing," Jenkins continues. "I've never made a musical before. So when I took the job, I knew that was going to be a part of it, but I just figured, 'We'll figure that out when we figure that out.' In a musical, we need to figure that out first!"
Lin-Manuel Miranda on the legacy of ‘The Lion King’
“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. ‘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,” he said in a statement.
“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,“ Miranda added. The project is expected to succeed after achieving $1.6 billion at the global box office in 2019.
What is known about Mufasa: The Lion King
The narrative of Mufasa: The Lion King centers around Rafiki narrating the legend of Mufasa to Kiara, with Timon and Pumbaa at their side. The story introduces the young Mufasa as an orphaned cub voiced by Aaron Pierre. Mufasa forms a bond with a lion named Taka, who later becomes Scar, while Taka is still the heir to the royal bloodline.
The cast includes Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Kagiso Lediga as young Rafiki, Preston Nyman as Zazu, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, Thandiwe Newton as Taka's mother, Eshe, Lennie James as Taka's father, Obasi, and Anika Noni Rose and Keith David as Mufasa's parents, Afia and Masego.
Mufasa: The Lion King is scheduled for theatrical release on December 20th.