The In the Heights and Hamilton creator will write new songs for the Lion King prequel.
Lin-Manuel Miranda isn’t throwin’ away his shot at Pride Rock.
Disney announced that the acclaimed creator of Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton will write new songs for Mufasa: The Lion King, director Barry Jenkins’ upcoming sequel/prequel to 2019’s photorealistic Lion King remake. The Grammy and Tony Award-winning songwriter and composer is also producing the soundtrack with Mark Mancina, producer of the soundtrack to the 1994 animated movie with Hans Zimmer and The Lion King Broadway stage musical.
South African composer Lebo M, who performed “Circle of Life” and served as composer and producer on the albums Rhythm of the Pride Lands and Return to Pride Rock: Songs Inspired by Disney’s The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, will provide additional music and performances.
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
Miranda wrote the chart-topping original songs for Disney’s animated Moana and Encanto, and most recently collaborated with Alan Menken to create new music for Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
Along with the Oscar and Grammy Award-winning Lion King soundtrack consisting of a score by Zimmer and songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice, the original 1994 movie inspired a sequel album, titled Rhythm of the Pride Lands, by Lebo M. In 2019, filmmaker Jon Favreau’s photorealistic re-imagining inspired a new album by Zimmer and The Lion King: The Gift, a companion album curated by and featuring Beyoncé, who voiced Nala.
Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki (voiced by John Kani and Kagiso Lediga) to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé), with Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) — 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, the formidable lion Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen).
Here’s everything we know so far about Mufasa: The Lion King, which opens in theaters December 20.
