The Lion King Will Feature James Earl Jones Tribute

Coming Mufasa: The Lion King It will include a tribute to the late James Earl Jones, according to director Barry Jenkins.

What kind of honor will Mufasa: The Lion King receive?

Speaking to Variety, Jenkins revealed that the upcoming film will pay tribute to Jones in the opening credits. His voice plays in front of a card reading “In Remembrance” to honor the legendary actor.

“When I think about what James Earl Jones means, not even just to me, but to global audiences — people know that — I grew up without a father figure, and you walk in and see this art, and you watch these movies, and sometimes these fathers in these movies become Instead, “they became these father figures.”

Jenkins went on to explain that when Jones died, it seemed like it would be impossible to sit through the film without honoring him in some way.

“We felt like we all lost a patriarch,” Jenkins said. “We’ve all lost this man who meant so much. I felt like there was no way you could sit through this movie — an hour and 40 minutes in — and not honor him in some way. You’re going to think of ways you want to honor him, so I felt like we had to Doing it in the intro immediately agreed, and we tried to find something that was very simple, but also very clear and very powerful.

Mufasa is directed by Jenkins with a screenplay written by Jeff Nathanson. Just like the first film, the film blends live-action filmmaking techniques with photorealistic computer-generated visuals.

Featuring the voices of Aaron Beier, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Ledega, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Praline Rankins, Theo Somolu, Foleke Olowofoyeko, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbidu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Alsalis, Dominic Jennings and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

“The film explores the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands. Rafiki brings the legend of Mufasa to the young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa bringing their own distinct flair. “The story is told in flashbacks, presenting Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion His name is Taka – heir to the royal line. A chance encounter sets off an expansive journey for an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny – their bonds will be tested as they work together to avoid a threatening and deadly enemy.