Black Is King is the 2020 Beyoncé visual album and film project inspired by Disney’s The Lion King.
Beyoncé wrote, directed, and executive-produced Black Is King, which was released on Disney+ on July 31, 2020. It functions as a visual companion to The Lion King: The Gift, the 2019 album she curated for Disney’s live-action film.
The project reinterprets themes from The Lion King through a story of a young African king discovering identity, ancestry, and purpose. Its visuals draw on fashion, dance, landscapes, and artistic traditions from across Africa and the African diaspora. Many performers from The Lion King: The Gift appear in the film.
Black Is King is sometimes mislabeled as a direct remake of The Lion King. It is better understood as a companion work and artistic reimagining, not a scene-by-scene retelling. It also differs from Homecoming, which documents Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performance.