The Lion King | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

Oscar winner Barry Jenkins is set to direct a follow-up to the 2019 blockbuster The Lion King. He confirmed the news on his Twitter account.

There is no details about the film, and some sites are calling it a “prequel” while some sites are labeling the film as a “sequel.”

Deadline reports that the new film will continue with the photo-realistic technology used in the 2019 film, and “the story will further explore the mythology of the characters, including Mufasa’s origin story.”

The 2019 film starred Donald Glover (Simba) and Beyonce (Nala), Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner (Zazu, Pumbaa and Timon), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), Alfre Woodard (Sarabi), Eric André, Florence Kasumba and Keegan-Michael Key (hyenas Azizi, Shenzi and Kamari), JD McCrary (Young Simba), and Shahadi Wright Joseph (Young Nala).

If you missed it, one of the stars of the movie, John Oliver, confirmed a fan theory about Beyonce with regard to The Lion King promo!

Beyonce is gearing up for the release of her new movie Black is King!

Just a few short hours before the movie debuts on Disney+, the 38-year-old entertainer released the deluxe version of her album The Lion King: The Gift, which she released last summer.

The deluxe version of the album features her latest single “Black Parade,” which she released on Juneteenth, an extended version of that track, and the MELO-X remix for “Find Your Way Back.”

Black is King is based on the music of The Lion King: The Gift, debuting two weeks after the one-year anniversary of the theatrical release of Disney’s The Lion King.

Written, directed, and executive produced by Beyonce, the film “reimagines the lessons from the 2019 blockbuster for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns.”

Special guests in the movie include models Aweng Ade-Chuol and Adut Akech, supermodel Naomi Campbell, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Lupita Nyong’o, Kelly Rowland, Pharrell Williams, Blue Ivy Carter, and Jay-Z, among others.

Black is King will be released on Disney+ at Friday, July 31 at 12am PT, 3am ET.

You can download The Lion King: The Gift deluxe version off of iTunes here – listen to Beyonce‘s new album below!

Beyonce is releasing a new movie on Disney+!

It has been announced that the 38-year-old entertainer will be releasing the visual album Black is King, based on the music from her 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Beyonce Knowles

Black is King is written, directed and executive produced by Beyonce.

“Black Is King is a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience,” Disney+ said in a statement. “Videos for ‘My Power,’ ‘Mood 4 Eva,’ and ‘Brown Skin Girl’ are extravagances of elegance and soul. The film is a story for the ages that informs and rebuilds the present. A reunion of cultures and shared generational beliefs. A story of how the people left most broken have an extraordinary gift and a purposeful future.”

Earlier this month, it was rumored that Beyonce has teamed up with Disney to release several projects.

Black is King will be released on Disney+ on July 31 – watch the trailer now!

Christina Aguilera belted out a Disney classic during her performance on the ABC special, The Disney Family Singalong.

The Grammy-winning singer sang “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King while in her recording studio at home.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Christina Aguilera

Christina has been part of the Disney family ever since she was a kid and a member of the Mickey Mouse Club cast. Her relationship with the brand continued when she sang “Reflection” for the animated Mulan movie and she also recorded a new song for the live-action remake.

Elton John isn’t happy with how The Lion King remake experience turned out for him.

The “Yellow Brick Singer” singer opened up in an interview for British GQ‘s latest issue.

Elton worked on the original animated film soundtrack, and was involved in reworking the songs for the new version of the film. He also wrote a new song for the official remake’s soundtrack.

“The new version of The Lion King was a huge disappointment to me, because I believe they messed the music up. Music was so much a part of the original and the music in the current film didn’t have the same impact,” he said.

“The magic and joy were lost. The soundtrack hasn’t had nearly the same impact in the charts that it had 25 years ago, when it was the bestselling album of the year. The new soundtrack fell out of the charts so quickly, despite the massive box-office success. I wish I’d been invited to the party more, but the creative vision for the film and its music was different this time around and I wasn’t really welcomed or treated with the same level of respect. That makes me extremely sad. I’m so happy that the right spirit for the music lives on with the Lion King stage musical.”

READ MORE: Elton John Explains Why He’s Grateful For ‘Years of Sex & Drugs’

The Lion King just broke a major record!

The latest worldwide box office numbers – not adjusted for inflation – show that the 2019 remake has officially become the top grossing animated movie of all time.

Frozen, which was released by Disney in 2013, previously held the top spot, earning $1.27 billion in the worldwide box office. As of this weekend, The Lion King has earned just over $1.33 billion.

This also makes The Lion King the number 12 movie of all time, according to Box Office Mojo.

The film could also earn a spot in the top ten if it out-earns both Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2 and Black Panther – which are narrowly ahead by $1.341 billion and $1.346 billion, respectively.

John Oliver just confirmed something that many suspected…Beyonce was photoshopped into the Lion King cast photo!

The photo features Donald Glover (Simba) and Beyonce (Nala), along with John, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner (Zazu, Pumbaa and Timon), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), Alfre Woodard (Sarabi), Eric André, Florence Kasumba and Keegan-Michael Key (hyenas Azizi, Shenzi and Kamari), JD McCrary (Young Simba), and Shahadi Wright Joseph (Young Nala).

While making an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, John said, “She wasn’t there. No she wasn’t there…I think almost everyone else was there.”

“Chiwetel [Ejiofor] was sitting in the front and he said, ‘You need to be careful where your foot is,’ and I look down on the floor and there was just this piece of tape on the floor with Beyonce’s name on it,” John continued. Check out 6:45 in the video clip to watch.