Entertainment

Donald Glover Talked All About How Blue Ivy Delightfully Narrated 'The Lion King' For His Son

by Jessica Wang
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The power this has! The implications this has! The clearance this has! Blue Ivy explained the premise of The Lion King to Donald Glover’s son at the premiere, according to Glover himself. Ahead of the film's July 18 release, Glover (Simba) sat down with Entertainment Tonight alongside director Jon Favreau and revealed that Beyoncé (Nala) and Jay-Z’s eldest daughter Blue Ivy sat behind his eldest son Legend and narrated the film for him. (Side note: Glover amusingly mixes up the tot’s name and calls her Ivy Blue.) “She was behind us. So, Ivy Blue was, like, narrating the movie. [Blue Ivy] was like, 'Scar, like he's lying.' And my son was like, 'What? Who is that?'” Glover said. “She knew the movie already. It was awesome.”

Glover’s co-star Seth Rogen, who voices the beloved warthog Pumbaa in the remake, confirmed his comments. He even revealed that Blue Ivy may have thought the film used real animals. Rogen told ET, “She was [narrating]. I heard her the whole time. And then, very early in the movie I heard her just go, ‘Are they talking?’ I think she thought they were real animals… She thought it was real. 'Oh my God, they got these animals to talk!' Disney is a powerful company."

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The revelations came after Glover revealed to ET that, prior to the film’s premiere, his eldest son Legend actually had no idea he would be in the live-action remake. At the screening, however, Legend recognized the sound of his father’s voice and eventually put two and two together. “When I came on screen he was like [looking back and forth, confused]. He gave me the double take a couple of times. He kept looking, and my wife was like, 'Oh, he's getting it. He's getting it,’” Glover told ET. “It was really special. I don’t know how that’s gonna happen ever again… where like, I know the movie. He knows the movie.”

More so, Legend’s interest in the film was initially piqued by none other than Beyoncé herself. According to Glover, when he had asked his son if he’d be interested in seeing the film, Legend replied, “Oh yeah, Beyoncé’s in it? Kind of like, ‘That’s the one with Beyoncé, right’?” As for whether Legend ever got to meet Queen Bey at the screening, Glover revealed that his son “was so tired; he was so done” following the premiere that he did not, in fact, get to meet the Lemonade songstress. Still, a conversation with Blue Ivy Carter is still impressive.

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Glover shares two children with partner Michelle White. The two welcomed eldest son Legend in 2016, and in January of this year, welcomed their second son together. Glover — also known for his rap moniker Childish Gambino — revealed the news of White’s pregnancy during the 2017 Emmys while he accepted an award for outstanding lead in a comedy series for his role in Atlanta. Glover said to the crowd, “I want to thank my baby, my son, for just being the joy in my life. I want to thank my unborn son. We’re listening to Stevie tonight.”

The Lion King arrives in theaters on July 18. For us mere mortals, the film will just have to be enjoyed without Blue Ivy's narrations.