Everything We Know About Blue Ivy’s Acting Debut in “Mufasa”
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Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s eldest, Blue Ivy Carter, is already one of the youngest people to ever collect a Grammy, thanks to her performance on The Lion King: The Gift track “Brown Skin Girl.” Not to mention, Blue spent much of 2023 performing in front of thousands of audience members when she made a repeat cameo in her mom’s Renaissance World Tour (in between studying for her classes, of course). Not too shabby for a 12-year-old.
Now, the tween superstar-to-be is ready to take on acting, as she’s set to make her debut in Mufasa: The Lion King in the role of Princess Kiara. Previously, Blue played herself in films like Black Is King and Beyoncé’s Lemonade visual film, but this will be her first feature film role.
Ahead, see everything we know about Blue Ivy’s big screen debut.
Blue Ivy will voice the role of Princess Kiara.
In 2019, Disney released The Lion King, a CGI-reimagining of the ’94 film of the same name, where Beyoncé voiced Nala—the childhood best friend and eventual love interest of the main character, Simba (Donald Glover). Now, a prequel, titled Mufasa: The Lion King, is scheduled to hit theaters on December 20, 2024.
When the 2019 remake was released, Beyoncé dropped an album of songs inspired by the film, titled The Lion King: The Gift. On the album, Blue Ivy featured on the track “Brown Skin Girl” (which eventually won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video). So, it’s not totally surprising to see the tween making an appearance in the prequel.
Fittingly, Beyoncé’s real-life daughter will also be playing her daughter on screen, when she voices the role of Princess Kiara, the eldest child of Simba and Nala. Previously, this part was voiced by Neve Campbell (as adult Kiara) and Michelle Horn (as the cub) in the 1998 animated film The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. Then, Kiara was voiced by Eden Riegel in the Disney animated series The Lion Guard.
As Simba’s eldest, Princess Kiara is heir to the Pride Lands, and she’s depicted as an adventurous creature. Only time will tell how closely her character in Mufasa will mirror the way she was depicted in The Lion King II and The Lion Guard.
A number of stars reprise their roles.
Fans who loved the 2019 Lion King won’t be disappointed by the cast list for the upcoming prequel. A number of the film’s stars will be reprising their roles, including Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Billy Eichner (Timon), John Kani (Rafiki), Glover, and Beyoncé.
Newcomers will include Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Preston Nyman as Zazu, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, Thandiwe Newton as Eshe, Lennie James as Obasi, Keith David as Masego, Anika Noni Rose as Afia, and then Blue Ivy.
The prequel will tell the backstory of Simba’s father.
As most people know (and as we’re not afraid to spoil at this point), Simba’s father, Mufasa, dies quite early in The Lion King, when he’s killed by his younger brother, Scar. However, this new prequel hopes to tell the background of the ill-fated character.
In a synopsis from Disney, the studio states: “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. 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 was directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) and features original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Disney has already released a trailer.
Early on Monday morning, April 29, Disney released the first teaser trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King. “This story begins far beyond the mountains and the shadows,” Rafiki (AKA Kani) narrates at the beginning of the clip. “On the other side of the light, a lion was born without a drop of nobility in his blood. A lion who would change our lives forever: Mufasa. The Earth will shake. Destiny awaits you.”
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