How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones' legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character.

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

Here are some details and insights about “Mufasa" ahead of its release in theaters on Dec. 20.

Jones’ voice isn’t heard in the movie, but it opens with a brief tribute to the beloved actor, who died in September.

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

“I imagine that an individual experiencing those things might have moments of not being sure and I wasn’t sure about myself,” he said. “Aaron wasn’t sure about Aaron going into this, I tried to channel those emotions as opposed to being something that prohibited me as something that propelled me forward. I gave it my best. I hope that I was able to serve James Earl Jones and honor James Earl Jones and the character.”

The live-action prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa's origin.

After the events in the 2019 film, Rafiki takes on the role of a storytelling sage, weaving the untold tale of Mufasa for Kiara — the spirited granddaughter of Mufasa and the daughter of Simba and Nala. The duo Timon and Pumbaa stick around for Rafiki’s flashback.

Rafiki reveals that Mufasa’s cubhood wasn’t all royal ease and sunlit horizons. After a heart-wrenching tragedy of being separated from his parents, young Mufasa finds himself lost and alone.

“He’s been separated from his family. He’s an orphan. He’s been ostracized, he’s been dismissed. He’s been degraded,” said Pierre, the British actor who's starred in the “Genius: MLK/X” series and the Netflix action hit “Rebel Ridge."

Mufasa was a stray until fate led him to Taka, the compassionate heir of a different pride. Taka, with his fierce yet nurturing mother, offer the displaced cub a new beginning in their pride.

Over the years, Mufasa and Taka’s bond grows from camaraderie to brotherhood. But their loyalty is put to the ultimate test during a journey that uncovers Mufasa’s true origins and rightful kingdom as well as the reasons behind Taka becoming Scar.

“There was a bit of Taka resting on the privilege that he was supposed to be afforded,” said Kelvin Harrison Jr., who plays Taka. He drew some inspiration from Jeremy Irons, who voiced the villainous Scar in the 1994 original.

“There’s a little bit of ‘Well, it seems like I need to command attention,'" continued Harrison, who starred in “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Waves.” "It seems like the only way to win over a pride of anything is to assert dominance. That was Taka’s version of that, which ended up being a staple as Scar.”

Beyoncé might have a small role in “Mufasa,” but her daughter Blue Ivy Carter is the family's shining star in the film.

The eldest daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z makes her feature film debut, lending her voice as Kiara, the daughter of Simba and Nala, who is portrayed by her superstar mother.

“She came into this prepared,” said director Barry Jenkins, who heard Blue Ivy's narration on the audio book of Oscar winner Matthew Cherry's “Hair Love.” He said the 12-year-old phenom displayed some skills that could not be ignored.

“She was the main character and this whole movie starts with just voices,” Jenkins said. “They’re doing 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 auditioned and it was clear that she is 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 a pro.

“I don’t know Blue Ivy’s life, but I imagine she grows up a little bit different than everyone else,” he said. “I think because of that she’s grown up and so she had all these wells of understanding, experience, emotional knowledge that she brought to the character. She was awesome.”

Jenkins likens the Kiara character to the many children who will see the movie. In the film, she eagerly listens to John Kani's Rafiki tell her grandfather's origin story while Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) accompany them in a cave.

“They get to see themselves in that character and she’s learning the story about Mufasa,” Jenkins said. "She’s learning how he went through the same trials and tribulations, the same growth as she is."

Blue Ivy did not record her vocals with the three cast members, but Rogen applauded her skills.

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

When Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote new songs for the film, he often leaned on the famous Billie Jean King quote: “Pressure is a privilege.”

Miranda was up for the challenge to leave his own imprint on the storied franchise much like his predecessors. He said there are seven new songs on the soundtrack, which will be released Dec. 13.

“I was emboldened by the fact that there’s the ’94 original which is like an immortal classic," said Miranda, the “Hamilton” creator and Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner.

“But there’s also the Broadway musical and there’s also Beyoncé‘s album ‘The Lion King: The Gift,' which I think expanded the musical vocabulary of what can be a ‘Lion King’ song. So I felt a lot of space to create because I felt like ‘Lion King’ is practically a genre of music and there was room to play and find new stuff within it.”

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

“His harmonies, the choral arrangements he created for the Broadway musical and for the show, I think were so important to the success of the music of these movies,” Miranda said. “I think it was exciting for him to work on new songs.”

Blue Ivy Carter arrives at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Blue Ivy Carter arrives at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Beyoncé arrives at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Jay-Z, left, and Beyoncé arrive at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Jay-Z, from left, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles, from left, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Beyoncé, center, arrives at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles, from left, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Tina Knowles, from left, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Jay-Z, from left, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

The White House is planning on Friday to unveil President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget, a sweeping framework that's expected to propose steep reductions, if not a wholesale zeroing out, of various federal programs as part of his administration’s priorities.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to strip temporary legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to being deported.

Here's the latest:

“We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status,” he wrote on his social media site Friday morning. “It’s what they deserve!”

Trump and his White House have repeatedly gone after Harvard. In addition to threatening its tax-exempt status, the administration has halted more than $2 billion in grants to Harvard and wants to block the school from being able to enroll international students.

The detailed Army plans for a potential military parade on Trump’s birthday in June call for more than 6,600 soldiers, at least 150 vehicles, 50 helicopters, seven bands and possibly a couple thousand civilians, The Associated Press has learned.

The planning documents, obtained by the AP, are dated April 29 and 30 and have not been publicly released. They represent the Army’s most recent blueprint for its long-planned 250th anniversary festival on the National Mall and the newly added element — a large military parade that Trump has long wanted but is still being discussed.

The Army anniversary just happens to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday on June 14.

While the slides do not include any price estimates, it would likely cost tens of millions of dollars to put on a parade of that size.

▶ Read more about the Army’s military parade plans

As Trump faces significant pushback from federal judges, a new poll shows U.S. adults are more likely to believe the president is the one overstepping his power rather than the courts -- although Republicans largely think the opposite.

According to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about half of Americans say the president has “too much” power in the way government operates these days. On the other hand, Americans are more likely to believe the federal courts have an appropriate amount of authority. Only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults say that federal judges have “too much” power.

Republicans see it the other way: Roughly half say the federal judiciary has too much power, and only about 2 in 10 say the president does.

▶ Read more about the latest AP-NORC poll

When the Justice Department lifted a school desegregation order in Louisiana this week, officials called its continued existence a “historical wrong” and suggested that others dating to the Civil Rights Movement should be reconsidered.

The end of the 1966 legal agreement with Plaquemines Parish schools announced Tuesday shows the Trump administration is “getting America refocused on our bright future,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said.

Inside the Justice Department, officials appointed by Trump have expressed a desire to withdraw from other desegregation orders they see as an unnecessary burden on schools, according to a person familiar with the issue who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Dozens of school districts across the South remain under court-enforced agreements dictating steps to work toward integration, decades after the Supreme Court struck down racial segregation in education. Some see the court orders’ endurance as a sign the government never eradicated segregation, while officials in Louisiana and at some schools see the orders as bygone relics that should be wiped away.

▶ Read more about the end to the desegregation order

— Collin Binkley

Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.

The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”

It’s the latest move by Trump and his administration to utilize federal powers to control or hamstring institutions whose actions or viewpoints he disagrees with. Since taking office, Trump has ousted leaders, placed staff on administrative leave and cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to artists, libraries, museums, theaters and others, through takeovers of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

▶ Read more about the executive order

Rubio has been thrown into two top national security jobs at once as Trump presses forward with his top-to-bottom revamp of U.S. foreign policy, upending not only longstanding policies that the former Florida senator once supported but also the configuration of the executive branch.

Trump’s appointment of Rubio to temporarily replace Mike Waltz as national security adviser is the first major leadership shake-up of the nascent administration, but Waltz’s removal had been rumored for weeks — ever since he created a Signal group chat and accidentally added a journalist to the conversation where top national security officials shared sensitive military plans.

So, just over 100 days into his tenure as America’s top diplomat, Rubio now becomes just the second person to hold both positions. He follows only the late Henry Kissinger, who served as both secretary of state and national security adviser for two years under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford in the 1970s.

▶ Read more about Rubio’s new role

The Justice Department asked the high court to put on hold a ruling from a federal judge in San Francisco that kept in place Temporary Protected Status for the Venezuelans that would have otherwise expired last month.

The status allows people already in the United States to live and work legally because their native countries are deemed unsafe for return due to natural disaster or civil strife.

A federal appeals court had earlier rejected the administration’s request.

Trump’s administration has moved aggressively to withdraw various protections that have allowed immigrants to remain in the country, including ending TPS for a total of 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians. TPS is granted in 18-month increments.

The emergency appeal to the high court came the same day a federal judge in Texas ruled illegal the administration’s efforts to deport Venezuelans under an 18th-century wartime law. The cases are not related.

▶ Read more about the Trump administration’s request

President Donald Trump gives a commencement address at the University of Alabama, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Donald Trump gives a commencement address at the University of Alabama, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Donald Trump arrives to give a commencement address at the University of Alabama, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)