AsMufasa: The Lion Kinggets closer and closer to its release date, fans of the franchise start getting more and more information about the anticipated prequel. The new installment will chronicle the early years of Mufasa (voiced byAaron Pierre) before he became the father of Simba (Donald Glover) and the king of the jungle. The blockbuster is set to premiere in theaters on December 20, and todayEntertainment Weeklyrevealed an exclusive new look into the movie’s new villain, Kiros, voiced byMads Mikkelsen(Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore).
The images show Kiros in two different scenarios: a snowy mountain and the savannahwe know so well at this point. The white-haired lion looks like it’ll give plenty of trouble to Mufasa, and his actions certainlyhelped shape the leaderthat the title character became. Also, we can’t ignore the fact that Kiros will be a Scar of sorts, since the character seems to be as ruthless as Mufasa’sbrother was in previous installments. In an official interview toEW, Mikkelsen broke down the personality of Kiros:
“He’s a great leader. He’s one of the lions who’s protecting his pride. And like most lions, he does believe that the best way of defense is offense. It’s a brutal world out there. So, in his world, it’s better to move before the other guys move. You could probably say that he’s set his target to a bigger piece of the land than the one he has already.”
Kiros Is Inspired By Real-Life White-Haired Lion
Mikkelsen also added that Kiros' pack’s ultimate goal is survival and the preservation of their group, meaning that “they see everybody else as enemies.” This means that we can expect Kiros and his pack to beterritorial and viciousto any animal that threatens them.Mufasa: The Lion King’s directorBarry Jenkins(Moonlight) commented about the villain and revealed that the genetically modified look of Kiros “actually exists out in the wild,” and thatone of the things that he was excited aboutin the prequel was having a character that is “in some ways, as powerful as a character like Mufasa.”
The screenplay ofMufasa: The Lion Kingis written byJeff Nathanson, who also penned the 2019 remakeThe Lion King. The voice cast featuresKelvin Harrison Jr.(The Trial of the Chicago 7) as Taka,Seth Rogen(Kung Fu Panda 4) as Pumbaa,Billy Eichner(Bros) as Timon,John Kani(Black Panther) as Rafiki,Thandiwe Newton(Westworld) as Eshe,Keith David(Hazbin Hotel) as Masego,Anika Noni Rose(Let The Right One in) as Afia,Tiffany Boone(Hunters) as Sarabi,Beyoncéas Nala andBlue Ivy Carteras Kiara.
Mufasa: The Lion Kingpremieres on December 20.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored.
