As if anybody is going to miss something new dropped by Beyonce, Disney is making sure you don’t forget about her visual album, Black is King. Just a few weeks after revealing the teaser, a full trailer has been released featuring the Queen B herself on narration.
“You were formed by the heat of the galaxy. What a thing to be, both unique and familiar,” Beyoncé says. “To be one and the same, and still unlike any other.”
The film, which arrives little more than a year after The Lion King‘s release, reimagines lessons from the Disney hit “for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns.” The result is what appears to be the story of Simba brought into the real world.
Special guests include some guy named Jay-Z, her mom Tina Knowles-Lawson, fellow Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland, Pharrell Williams, Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o, supermodel Naomi Campbell, models Aweng Ade-Chuol and Adut Akech, and more.
While Beyonce is credited as writer, director, and exec-producer, she’s joined by a host of international filmmakers including Emmanuel Adjei (Shahmaran), Blitz Bazawule (The Burial of Kojo), Pierre Debusschere (Beyoncé’s music videos “Mine” and “Ghost”), Jenn Nkiru (BLACK TO TECHNO), Ibra Ake (creative director on Childish Gambino’s “This is America”), Dikayl Rimmasch (CACHAO, UNO MAS), plus frequent collaborators Jake Nava (Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love”) and Kwasi Fordjour. I was surprised to see Blue Caprice director Alexandre Moors also on the list of contributors, but shouldn’t be considering his past work with J-Lo, Kanye West, and others.
Black is King comes to Disney+ on July 31st.
