Beyoncé’s 2020 musical film connected to The Lion King: The Gift was titled Black Is King.
Black Is King was written, directed, and executive-produced by Beyoncé. Disney+ released it on July 31, 2020. The film reimagines themes from Disney’s The Lion King through a story centered on a young African king and uses songs from The Lion King: The Gift, Beyoncé’s 2019 companion album to the live-action film.
The project combines music-video performance, fashion, dance, visual art, and narrative scenes. It features contributions from artists including Jay-Z, Blue Ivy Carter, Lupita Nyong’o, Pharrell Williams, and Tina Knowles-Lawson. Its visual language emphasizes African and diasporic cultures and the importance of heritage.
Black Is King is distinct from Homecoming, the 2019 concert film about Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performances, and from Life Is But a Dream, her 2013 autobiographical documentary. The connection to The Lion King is through The Gift’s music and themes, not a conventional remake of the original film.