SAN DIEGO (AP) – When Aaron Pierre was solid as Mufasa, the burden of following in the legendary footsteps of the late James Earl Jones was enough to make any actor sway. But as a substitute of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion form.

“I had a lot of nerves, and I think those nerves served me because that’s what the teenage version of that lion is like,” Pierre said in an interview Friday at San Diego Safari Park about his starring role in the film “Mufasa: The Lion King.” He took the reins as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in the 1994 and 2019 Disney versions of “The Lion King.”

Here are some details and observations about “Mufasa” ahead of its December 20 theatrical release.

First, a tribute to James Earl Jones

Jones’ voice is just not heard in the film, but it surely opens with a brief tribute to the beloved actor who died in September.

Pierre had hoped to meet Jones for the first time, but he didn’t have the opportunity. Now he’s determined to honor his idol by constructing on his character’s legacy.

“I imagine a person experiencing things like this can have moments of uncertainty, and I wasn’t sure about myself,” he said. “Aaron wasn’t sure if Aaron was into it. I attempted to channel these emotions quite than being something that held me back, as something that pushed me forward. I gave it my all. I hope I used to be able to serve James Earl Jones and honor James Earl Jones and the character.

Mufasa’s touching origin story

The live-action prequel offers a fresh tackle Mufasa’s origins.

after events in the film 2019, Rafiki plays the story-telling sage, weaving Mufasa’s untold story for Kiara – Mufasa’s spirited granddaughter and daughter of Simba and Nala. The duo of Timon and Pumbaa stay with Rafiki’s flashbacks.

Rafiki discovers that Mufasa’s childhood is just not all about royal freedom and sunny horizons. After the heartbreaking tragedy of being separated from his parents, young Mufasa finds himself lost and alone.

“He was separated from his family. He is an orphan. He was rejected, fired. He was demoted,” said Pierre, a British actor who starred in the film “Genius: MLK/X” Series. and Netflix motion hit “Rebel Ridge”.

Mufasa was homeless until fate led him to Taka, the compassionate heir of one other pride. Taka, along with his fierce but caring mother, offers the displaced cub a new starting of their pride.

Over the years, Mufasa and Tak’s bond grows from camaraderie to brotherhood. However, their loyalty is put to the ultimate test during a journey that discovers Mufasa’s true origins and rightful kingdom, in addition to the explanation why Taka became Scar.

“Taka kind of relaxed on the privileges that he had,” said Kelvin Harrison Jr., who plays Taka. He drew inspiration from Jeremy Irons, who voiced the villainous Scar in the 1994 original.

“It’s kind of like, ‘Well, looks like I need some attention,’” continued Harrison, who starred in “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Waves.” “It seems the only way to defeat any pride is to assert dominance. It was Tak’s version that ultimately became the basis for Scar’s role.

Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy makes her feature film debut

Beyonce she can have a small role in “Mufasa,” but her daughter Blue Ivy Carter is the predominant star of the family in the film.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s eldest daughter makes her feature film debut, lending her voice to the role of Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, played by her star mother.

“She came into it prepared,” said director Barry Jenkins, who heard Blue Ivy narrate in the audiobook of “Hair Love” by Oscar winner Matthew Cherry. He said the 12-year-old phenom showed some skills that couldn’t be ignored.

“She was the main character, and the whole movie starts with the voices,” Jenkins said. “They do it almost like a radio play, and hearing that quality in her voice, I thought, ‘Oh, I think that’s my character,’” he continued. “Then she went to the audition and it became clear that she was my character.”

While recording for Kiara’s character, Jenkins said Blue Ivy, who won a Grammy for co-writing her mom’s 2019 hit “Brown Skin Girl,” was knowledgeable.

“I don’t know Blue Ivy’s life, but I imagine she grows up a little differently than everyone else,” he said. “I think that’s why she became an adult and had a whole lot of understanding and experience and emotional knowledge that she brought to the character. She was amazing.”

Jenkins compares Kiara’s character to many of the children who will see the film. In the film, she listens eagerly as John Kani’s Rafiki tells her grandfather’s origin story while Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) accompany them to the cave.

“They see themselves in the character, and she learns Mufasa’s story,” Jenkins said. “She learns that he went through the same trials and tribulations, the same growth, as she did.”

Blue Ivy didn’t record her vocals with the three solid members, but Rogen praised her skills.

“She was great,” he said. “I could have sworn we were in that cave with her.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s secret ingredient

When Lin-Manuel Miranda when writing new songs for the film, he often referred to Billie Jean King’s famous quote: “Pressure is a privilege.”

Miranda took on the challenge of leaving her own mark on this famous series, identical to her predecessors. He said the soundtrack, which shall be released on December 13, will feature seven new songs.

“I was emboldened by the fact that there is an original from 1994 that is like an immortal classic,” said Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton” and winner of Grammy, Emmy and Tony awards.

“But there may be also Broadway musical there may be also Beyoncé’s album “The Lion King: The Gift”, which for my part expanded the musical vocabulary of what could possibly be called a “Lion King” song. So I felt like there was quite a bit of room to create because I felt like The Lion King was practically a genre of music where there was room to mess around and find new things in it.

Miranda said its “secret ingredient” was Lebo M, known for his opening vocals on the classic tune “Circle of Life”. He said his lyrics were inspired by the script.

“I think his harmonies and choral arrangements that he created for the Broadway musical and for this show were instrumental in the success of the scores for these films,” Miranda said. “I think it was exciting for him to work on new songs.”