We're headed back to the Pride Lands! Deadline has confirmed that Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre will portray Scar and Mufasa [1] in Disney's forthcoming animated prequel to The Lion King [2]. The film, which doesn't yet have an official title, will use the same photorealistic 3D animation as the 2019 reboot, and will be directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins [3].

"Helping my sister raise two young boys during the '90s, I grew up with these characters," Jenkins told Deadline upon signing on to direct the prequel [4]. "Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true."

Production is in-full-swing, and will include original music from Pharrell and Hans Zimmer, who's been part of The Lion King [5] franchise since the very beginning in 1994. After the success of the 2019 rendition of The Lion King, screenwriter Jeff Nathanson is returning to the writer's room. Though a full movie description has yet to be released, the prequel plans to tell Mufasa and Scar's childhood story. Learn more about leads Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre ahead, and be sure to check back as more actors are confirmed to the casting list.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Scar

Kelvin is set to star as the voice of Scar, the sinister younger brother of Mufasa, and Simba's evil uncle. It's believed that Scar will go by his birth name, Taka, in the prequel, which will dive deeper into the early years of Mufasa and Taka's brotherly rivalry. Kelvin is most notably known for his roles in The Trial of the Chicago 7, Waves, and Monsters and Men.

Aaron Pierre as Mufasa

Aaron has been cast as the voice of Mufasa, one of the most beloved characters in The Lion King franchise. According to Deadline, the upcoming animated film will focus on Mufasa's origin story [6] prior to becoming a dad to Simba. Aaron's prior work includes Krypton and Amazon's Britannia. The Lion King prequel won't be his first project with Jenkins; the two worked together on Amazon's historical fiction series The Underground Railroad.