Last night, Disney’s breathtaking “Entertainment Showcase” panel ended with Mufasa – The Lion King Director Barry Jenkins, songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda and actors Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Theo Somolu, Braelyn Rankins and Anika Noni Rose enter the stage.

They’ve released an exciting new trailer and poster for the film, which you can now watch below (via Toonado.com).

The highly anticipated prequel capped off the studio’s presentation with a stunning performance of the classic “Nants’ Ingonyama” and the new song “Ngomso” by Lebo M., who contributes to the film’s music along with a full choir.

Visually, this foretaste is simply breathtaking. The Lion King looked incredible, but in the last five years the technology has advanced even further and the result is a truly photorealistic landscape and ultra-realistic (talking) animals.

What is revealed in this latest sneak peek is that we learn more about the brotherhood between Mufasa and Scar as young lions and meet the film’s fearsome villain. There is also the expected taste of Mufasa’s eventual rise to power and many familiar faces from The Lion King.

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved King of the Pride Lands, Mufasa – The Lion King tasks Rafiki with telling the legend of Mufasa to the young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa adding their signature trickery. The story, told in flashbacks, introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub who is lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka – the heir to a royal bloodline.

The chance encounter begins a sprawling journey for a group of extraordinary outsiders in search of their destiny. Their bonds are tested as they work together to escape a menacing and deadly enemy.

In addition to this year’s cast of D23, the film also stars John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Keith David, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thoseo Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

The brand new feature film combines live-action techniques with photorealistic, computer-generated imagery and was produced by Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak, with Peter Tobyansen serving as executive producer.

Mufasa – The Lion King will be released exclusively in cinemas on December 20, 2024.