Black Is King is a 2020 American musical film and visual album directed, written, and executive produced by American singer Beyoncé. The film serves as a visual companion to the 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift, curated by Beyoncé for The Lion King. The film tells the story of a young African prince who is exiled from his kingdom after the death of his father. As he grows up into a man, the prince undergoes a journey of self-identity, using the guidance of his ancestor, childhood love and his own subconscious to reclaim his throne. The prince's journey acts as an allegory for the African diaspora's journey of discovering, reclaiming and celebrating their culture and heritage, which is echoed by the inclusion of spoken-word poetry in the film that focuses on the question of black identity. Black Is King was in production for over a year and was filmed across six countries on three continents.
| Director | Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Co-Director, Kwasi Fordjour, Directors, Emmanuel Adjei, Blitz Bazawule, Ibra Ake, Jenn Nkiru, Jake Nava, Pierre Debusschere, Dikayl Rimmasch, Dafe Oboro |
| Produced by | Jeremy Sullivan, Jimi Adesanya, Blitz Bazawule, Ben Cooper, Astrid Edwards, Durwin Julies, Yoli Mes, Dafe Oboro, Akin Omotoso, Will Whitney, Lauren Baker, Jason Baum, Alex Chamberlain, Robert Day, Christophe Faubert, Brien Justiniano, Rethabile Molatela Mothobi, Sylvia Zakhary, Nathan Scherrer, Erinn Williams |
| Writer(s) | Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Clover Hope, Andrew Morrow |
| Based on | The Lion King: The Gift, The Lion King |
| Starring | Beyoncé, Folajomi Akinmurele, Connie Chiume, Nyaniso Ntsikelelo Dzedze, Nandi Madida, Warren Masemola, Sibusiso Mbeje, Fumi Odede, Stephen Ojo, Mary Twala |
| Music | James William Blades, MeLo-X, Derek Dixie |
| Cinematography | Ryan Marie Helfant, Santiago Gonzalez, Muhammad Atta Ahmed, David Boanuh, Michael Fernandez, Erik Henriksson, Danny Hiele, Laura Merians, Nicolai Niermann, Kenechukwu Obiajulu, Malik Sayeed, Benoit Soler |
| Edited by | Andrew Morrow, Maria-Celeste Garrahan, Haines Hall, Tom Watson |
| Production, company | Parkwood Entertainment, Walt Disney Pictures |
| Distributed by | Disney+ |
| Released | July 31, 2020 |
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
About Black is King
Musical and visual album that served as a tie in to the 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift. In the film an outcast King journeys through love/loss and self-actualization to reclaim his rightful throne.
Achievement of Black is King
The project was released globally through the Disney Plus streaming service and was directed by Beyoncé.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Black is King
Films shot in Ghana.. Films directed by Beyoncé.. Beyoncé.. Films shot in Nigeria.. African-American musical films.. Musical television films.. Films shot in Lagos.. Music television specials.. Musical television specials.. Films shot in Belgium.. American musical fantasy films.. Films based on musicals.. Films shot in South Africa.. Films set in Africa.. Films based on multiple works.. Films shot in Arizona.. Films based on adaptations.. Films about race and ethnicity.. Walt Disney Pictures films.. African-American films.. American musical films.
Latest information about Black is King updated on July 28 2021.
