The next generation of Hollywood is headed to Pride Rock.
Within days of each other, Blue Ivy Carter and North West — the eldest daughters of and and Ye, formerly Kanye West, respectively — publicly joined “Lion King” projects.
Disney announced 12-year-old Blue Ivy as a cast member of the ” on April 29. Blue Ivy will voice cub Kiara, the daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala. Beyoncé, who also appeared in the 2019 live-action remake, will be Nala.
About a week later, Disney revealed May 8 that 10-year-old North would perform in a live “Lion King” 30th anniversary concert at the Hollywood Bowl on May 24 and May 25, an event celebrating the various “Lion King” adaptations over the years, The concert will be streamed on Disney+ at a later date under the title “The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl.”
Two children of Hollywood royalty starring in separate “Lion King” adaptations might not be not a coincidence, experts say.
North and Blue Ivy’s status as children of Hollywood A-listers all but guarantees their fame. The kids had been following in their parents’ performance footsteps before the “Lion King” announcements, mostly on projects with at least one of their parents.
North released a single earlier this year with her father titled “Talking” and appears on her mother’s She also recently said she is
Blue Ivy and won the best music video Grammy in 2021 for “Brown Skin Girl,” a song from Beyoncé’s album “The Lion King: The Gift,” which is the soundtrack to the live action “Lion King.” She also performed with her mom
In choosing the “Lion King” to make even bigger professional leaps forward, Blue Ivy and North join a history of Hollywood children hard-launching their careers under the Disney umbrella.
Thandiwe Newton‘s daughter , 19, made her film debut in 2019 at 15 with the movie “Dumbo.”, around 12 at the time, co-starred in “Hannah Montana” starting in 2006. At 15, actor Zoey Deutch, child of director Howard Deutch and actor Lea Thompson, got her start on Disney’s “The Suite Life on Deck.”
Pop culture historian and critic Roy Schwartz says Disney is the “perfect place” for kids to “launch their careers.”
“Disney means brand assurance — you know exactly what you’re getting, and what you’re not getting. No one does that better than Disney. It also makes the performers’ own brand ‘safe’ for fans and parents alike. It’s where they prove their talent, as well as wholesomeness. What they do later is safely outside the Disney brand,” Schwartz says.
Monique Tatum, CEO of BPM-PR Firm, tells TODAY.com in a statement that Disney working with the children of celebrities is a “win win.”
“Disney is a well-oiled marketing and PR machine, so it makes sense for celebrity children to be associated with them,” Tatum says. “The children will not only have a powerhouse PR behind them, but the hope is that those well-known guidelines will protect their children’s branding and images in the long run.”
Since Disney “such a significant brand,” it “raises the bar for all future deal significance and negotiation starting points,” Tatum says.
The pre-teens have already been building brands, though have different relationships with the public eye. North has a shared social media account with her mom (@kimandnorth on TikTok), and regularly goes viral, in addition to appearing on “The Kardashians” .
Blue Ivy is “” on Black Twitter, a running joke used to describe her influence on the singer’s life and how grown up she’s become.
Beyoncé is more private with her family and spoke about how, and when, Blue Ivy would formally enter the spotlight in “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” a December 2023 documentary chronicling her world tour.
“I did not think it was an appropriate place for an 11-year-old on the stadium stage. All the things I had to go through and the obstacles I had to overcome prepared me — and she hasn’t had that struggle,”
Blue Ivy’s dance abilities were criticized after her first performance. In the concert film, she , and ultimately does.
“The Lion King” is an especially apt “launchpad for young, second-generation talent” for another reason: The story itself. In the movie, young Simba takes over for his father, Mufasa, and ascends to be king.
“It’s a story of a cub who grows up to take the place of his father. The metaphor comes built-in. There’s also a nice reflection in that it’s a story about a family, meant for a family audience,” Schwartz says.
It’s significant that Blue Ivy is co-starring in the movie with her mom, Queen Bey, a meta nod to the movie’s regal elements and themes of succession and legacy.
The casting and association with Disney is “phenomenal legacy planning” for North and Blue Ivy, Tatum says.
It’s the circle of life, Hollywood style.
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