'Mufasa' director Barry Jenkins addresses casting of Beyoncé's daughter, talks film inspiration

LOS ANGELES -- Stepping onto ABC's On The Red Carpet Storytellers Spotlight stage at D23, Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins spoke about his latest project, "Mufasa: The Lion King." He opened up about the A-list cast, including Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy, and the inspiration behind the film.

The highly-anticipated, live action movie is an epic origin story about how an orphaned Mufasa became the King of Pride Rock. Released Aug. 9 to a captivated crowd at Disney's ultimate fan event, the film's trailer has already garnered more than 13 million views on YouTube.

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During a Creator Conversation with ABC Owned Television Stations executive producer Nzinga Blake, Jenkins said directing the film was the honor of a lifetime; a sentiment reinforced by live reactions to the trailer from D23 attendees.

"I make films," he said. "I'm not a rock star. So, standing on a stage and having that many people looking at you is intimidating, but it solidified the enormity of the task that my collaborators and I have undertaken making this film."

Jenkins recalled watching the original film, "The Lion King," as a child in the 1990s, rewinding VHS tapes repeatedly on his family's television. When asked why Mufasa's origin story is important, Jenkins emphasized the value of humanizing the "superdad" qualities of Mufasa's character.

"I think for all of us, it's valuable to see that the people we believe are great, because we all know Mufasa is great," Jenkins said. "[Mufasa] went through some of the same trials and tribulations that we are all going through in our lives."

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Regarding casting, Jenkins addressed concerns that actors were chosen based on name recognition, rather than talent. He highlighted the actress playing the queen's daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, whose mother is music and cultural icon Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Jenkins asserted that the 12-year-old earned her place in the cast, despite her mother's involvement.

"She just crushed it," Jenkins said about Blue Ivy's audition. "It wasn't about who she was or who she's related to. It was, what do you sound like? What do you sound like when you're full of joy? And what do you sound like when, unfortunately, you might have a tinge of despair?"

Creator Conversations took place daily at D23, highlighting creators from film, TV, theater, music, and Walt Disney Imagineering. The chats focused on their storytelling journeys and how their own fandom has influenced their work with The Walt Disney Company.

"Mufasa: The Lion King" hits theaters on Dec. 20.

Watch the video player above for our full Storytellers Spotlight interview with Barry Jenkins.

Jason Honeycutt and Andres Rovira contributed to this report.

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