Video: Lin-Manuel Miranda Teases MUFASA: THE LION KING Songs

Though Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't write songs for Moana 2, he is still eager to play in the Disney sandbox. The Broadway multi-hyphenate has penned songs for Mufasa: The Lion King, the forthcoming prequel to The Lion King from filmmaker Barry Jenkins hitting theaters this month.

"I was really happy to help [Jenkins] work on his first musical and write songs for this incredible world," Miranda shared on Good Morning America. 

Deciding where to write and place songs in the story came naturally after reading the script, Miranda says, adding that this is a rarity when beginning a new project. “The ballads were really exciting because we actually haven’t had a ballad in a Disney movie in a long time,” he explained. “There’s a ballad called ‘I Know It’s You’ that is around the third act of this movie and I’m as proud of it as anything I have ever written.”

The morning show went on to share a clip from another new song called “I Always Wanted a Brother.” Watch the interview and clip now!

The cast includes Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Theo Somolu, Braelyn Rankins and Anika Noni Rose. The film also features 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, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. “Mufasa: The Lion King” releases only in theaters Dec. 20, 2024.

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, “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.