Lion King

Blue Ivy To Make Acting Debut Alongside Beyonce In “Mufasa: The Lion King”: What We Know So Far

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Fans just got their first glimpse at the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King prequel trailer over the weekend, subsequently revealing a few big surprises along the way. The movie musical, set to premiere in theaters in December 2024, will star Beyoncé alongside her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. The film will be Blue Ivy’s feature film debut, at only 12 years old. Although details about the upcoming Lion King prequel remain scarce, the initial trailer reveals several exciting developments, allowing us to focus on a few key details. Let’s take a look at the trailer and behind-the-scenes info at our disposal, and examine what we can expect from the Mufasa: The Lion King prequel film.

Read More: Kelly Rowland Recognizes The Work Ethic Of Beyoncé’s Daughter Blue Ivy Carter

The Film Will Include All-New Original Songs

Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel to 2019’s The Lion King, starring Beyoncé and Donald Glover. The 2019 film is itself a remake of the 1994 animated classic of the same name. While 2019’s The Lion King had a few original songs in it, the film mostly relied on updated renditions of the original music from the cartoon. They released an album on streaming platforms to accompany the film, featuring both original material and existing Lion King music. The project was titled The Lion King: The Gift with performances from Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams, and others.

Now, Mufasa: The Lion King will consist of wholly original music, as the prequel serves as a brand new outing for the franchise. Moreover, Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda will be composing and writing the original songs, as part of an ongoing deal with Disney. For now, we’re not sure if Blue Ivy will be singing any songs herself for the film, or if she’ll just be voice acting and leaving the songs to another performer. Of course, it seems likely based on her front-and-center inclusion in the cast, and her superstar musician parents, that Blue Ivy will be displaying her singing voice in the film for the world to hear.

Beyoncé And Blue Ivy Will Play A Mother & Daughter

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 11: (L-R) Blue Ive Carter and Beyoncé perform onstage during the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 11, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood)

It should come as no surprise that Blue Ivy will be playing the daughter of Beyoncé’s character in the Mufasa: The Lion King prequel. In the film, Beyoncé is slated to reprise her role as Nala from 2019’s The Lion King, alongside Donald Glover’s King Simba. According to a report in People, Blue Ivy will be playing the couple’s young daughter, Kiara. Kiara first appeared in the 1998 animated Lion King Sequel The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride. Despite being a sequel to one of the most revered and well-known Disney films of the last several decades, Simba’s Pride has remained relatively unnoticed since it debuted direct to video in the 90s. This means that, for most fans, Blue Ivy’s rendition of Kiara will be their first exposure to the character.

Several other performers are on pace to reprise their roles from the 2019 film as well, including Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani. Other newcomers to the cast include Mads Mikkelsen, Keith David, and The Walking Dead‘s Lennie James. Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. will lead the cast, as young Mufasa and young Scar respectively. Pierre and Harrison previously worked together on the National Geographic limited series Genius, with Pierre portraying Malcolm X against Harrison’s Martin Luther King Jr.

Read More: Beyoncé & Blue Ivy Look Like Twins In Throwback Snapshot

The Film Premieres On December 20, 2024

Oscar Award-winning director Barry Jenkins is set to helm the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King prequel, from a screenplay written by Catch Me If You Can scribe Jeff Nathanson. With all this talent behind the film, fans are already expecting an instant classic. Mufasa: The Lion King premiered on December 20, 2024, just in time for families to catch the movie for Christmas.

According to Jenkins, it was a real treat to see Beyoncé and Blue Ivy recording lines together. The filmmaker remarked that seeing the Grammy Award-winner “both on the screen and behind the screen, get to be a mother — and how that affected and impacted for the better the work that we were all doing — was just really awesome.” With any luck, Blue Ivy’s big performance will pave the way for a long and lucrative media career.

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The post Blue Ivy To Make Acting Debut Alongside Beyonce In “Mufasa: The Lion King”: What We Know So Far appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter and Donald Glover Set for ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Prequel Film

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Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter and Donald Glover Set for 'Mufasa: The Lion King' Prequel Film

As the iconic Lion King franchise celebrates its 30th anniversary, Disney unveils plans for Mufasa: The Lion King, a prequel exploring the beloved character’s origin story.

Set before Mufasa’s tragic demise orchestrated by his brother Scar, the film delves into Mufasa’s upbringing in the Pride Lands, focusing on his childhood and relationship with Scar. Director Barry Jenkins, known for “Moonlight,” helms this anticipated project, which serves as a prequel to the original animated classic and a follow-up to Jon Favreau’s 2019 photorealistic remake.

The narrative unfolds as Rafiki recounts Mufasa’s legacy to Simba and Nala’s daughter, Kiara, offering insight into her grandfather’s past. The film reunites much of the 2019 voice cast, including John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, and Donald Glover as Simba, with Beyoncé reprising her role as Nala and introducing her daughter Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara.

Lin-Manuel Miranda collaborates with Mark Mancina to compose and write the movie’s soundtrack. As anticipation builds, fans can mark their calendars for the theatrical release on December 20. Watch the official trailer for a glimpse into the majestic world of Mufasa: The Lion King.

The post Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter and Donald Glover Set for ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Prequel Film first appeared on The Source.

The post Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter and Donald Glover Set for ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Prequel Film appeared first on The Source.

Movie Soundtracks That Were Better Than The Films

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Movie soundtracks can make or break the film they’re a part of. The music or song behind a particular scene can either enhance or detract from it. If the music is good, the scene is often made better—an action sequence with the right ambiance sticks in the audience’s memory. Poor song choices can take viewers out of the experience and break their suspension of disbelief.

Fortunately, the film industry knows this. The crew behind a movie often understands the importance of music in film. The two go hand in hand, which is why musicals are so successful. We’ve seen the industry’s best awarded throughout the years as their blockbuster films have reached success not only for the visual elements but sonic contributions.

Movies like The Lion King, the classic animation or the more recent remake, have been applauded for their musical elements. In Hip Hop, 8 Mile continues to be a favorite. It isn’t just Eminem’s portrayal or Brittany Murphy’s stellar supporting actress role. The movie’s soundtrack propelled hits that topped the charts. Let’s take a look at some noteworthy movie soundtracks that are just as good—or better—than the films themselves.

Cruella (2021)

Cruella is a fun origin story for one of Disney’s most iconic villains from 101 Dalmatians. Emma Stone delivers an iconic performance and the costume design is wondrous. However, the soundtrack for this film elevates the movie to new heights. Rarely does a soundtrack distract from the movie because it’s just that good, but that’s sort of what happened in 2021. “Come Together” by Ike & Tina Turner is involved. So is “Should I Stay or Should I Go” from the Clash and Blondie’s hit “One Way or Another.” Each song is executed flawlessly and makes the movie that much more enjoyable.

Donnie Darko (2001)

Donnie Darko is a movie that the vast majority of audiences do not understand. Even on a second or third viewing, what Richard Kelly intended is still not terribly clear. Despite this, Jake Gyllenhaal’s cult classic is praised for its dark themes and unsettling imagery. Additionally, the soundtrack is still incredible over two decades later.

The alternate version of “Mad World” that plays as the film plays is perhaps the most iconic and memorable part. Tears for Fears also makes an appearance with “Head Over Heels.” The soundtrack isn’t long and mostly background music, but the particular song choice and placement make the movie’s admittedly confusing plot a little more bearable.

The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King is a great movie. It features a strong story with beautiful animation, especially for 1994. Many consider it one of the best-animated features of all time. The soundtrack certainly helped the film stand apart from previous Disney productions at the time. Almost 30 years later, the songs still land effectively in or out of the movie. Elton John and Hans Zimmer worked together to perfection on this one.

8 Mile (2002)

Any movie prominently featuring Eminem in his prime is going to have one of the best movie soundtracks of all time. Having the song “Lose Yourself” in it is an automatic bid to be one of the best. “Lose Yourself” won the Oscar for Best Original Song. It was the first hip-hop song to win that award. Taking it a step further, the song won the Grammy for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance. The other songs could have mailed it in and made one of the best soundtracks ever.

The Prince Of Egypt (1998)

The Prince of Egypt continues to be hailed as one of the most extraordinary animations ever. Productions that have a religious foundation have been carefully scrutinized. However, all praised the way Dreamworks communicated this Biblical story of Moses, regardless of their beliefs. The score and soundtrack are one of the company’s most memorable. The original songs here (which is often more complicated to do than incorporating existing songs) are all flawless and drive the movie the entire time.

Elvis (2022)

Elvis is a solid movie with an unbelievable performance from Austin Butler, but the soundtrack is easily one of the best. Butler’s singing as Elvis is exceptional. The Elvis songs they included are also exceptional. What tops it all off is the fact that they could incorporate artists like Doja Cat and Swae Lee into the soundtrack attached to a biopic about Elvis’ life. “Vegas” by Doja is easily one of the most fun Elvis-related remixes ever made.

Top Gun (1986)

It’s since been surpassed by its own legacy sequel, but Top Gun is an iconic movie. However, aside from the tragic death and the beach volleyball scene, what do people remember from this classic? The songs. They reused them 26 years later in the sequel, which gives a small indication of the soundtrack’s quality. “Take My Breath Away,” “Danger Zone,” “Mighty Wings,” “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” and so many others are all-time classics. No wonder everyone loves this film.