'Nerve-racking' for Aaron Pierre to replace James Earl Jones as Mufasa

One of the iconic memories of the original The Lion King is arguably Mufasa's sonorous voice that reverberates through the Pride Lands.

British actor Aaron Pierre now has the task of replacing the legendary James Earl Jones, who died at the age of 93 in September.

At a press conference for the upcoming movie Mufasa: The Lion King, Aaron was asked how he felt about continuing James' legacy.

"Way before I knew I would be gifted the opportunity to tell this story, he was an enormous inspiration for me… I've always observed him and tried to be a sponge and learn from him," said the 30-year-old.

"It's very nerve-racking because of that, and because of the place he holds in my heart."

Mufasa: The Lion King follows Simba's father from his days as a cub to adolescence, and Aaron thinks his own feelings of anxiety fitted the role.

"This isn't the adult king who's running things. He's figuring out his identity… So I think the nerves actually served as something that propelled me forward as opposed to prohibiting me. It was a really beautiful experience."

He added that he resonated with how Mufasa is unduly hard on himself. "He expects himself to have the answers to questions he hasn't had the life experience to answer, and I think I've done that for a vast majority of my life."

And why does Aaron reckon Mufasa is so loved?

"[James'] voice was so warm and comforting, full of strength and clarity… He radiated an essence of love, togetherness and unity, and I think we all crave that in our own respective lives and communities."

'No one's born good or bad'

In this film, we also learn the backstory of Scar, the villain who kills Mufasa in the 1994 movie.

In the trailer, he's introduced as a kind cub named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline who saves Mufasa from danger.

Upon the revelation that Mufasa wasn't supposed to be king, it was said that some fans became "Team Scar".

Kelvin Harrison Jr, the voice behind Taka, joked at the press conference that he agrees with them.

"I hope it stays that way," the 30-year-old laughed before adding, "I think it's really cool… it's a nice opportunity for people to pull back the curtain a little bit and reassess that original first interaction with Scar. No one's born a villain.

"I like the fact that everyone's having this dialogue, and how they're probably going to examine themselves and some of their preconceived notions around their enemies."

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote this film's songs, shared a similar sentiment.

"I've got two kids, and they're obsessed with who's a good guy and who's a bad guy. Like most children, they want to understand the world and what this movie leaves you with is the ability to have a conversation with the nuance of how no one's born good or bad," said Lin, 44.

"Sometimes our experiences lead us to make the wrong choices… It's so joyous when a work of art allows that conversation, where you can use these characters as a way to talk about the real world. I think this movie does that beautifully."

Mufasa: The Lion King premieres Dec 19 in Singapore theatres.

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