Prince Kopa

Writer
 Season
 Episode
 Next

―Kaliban to Kopa on Vitani**[src]** | ”

**"Prince Kopa"** is the ninth episode and season finale of Season 3 of *The Lion King: Revisited*. It is the direct sequel to *Epilogue: An Important Coronation*.

## Synopsis

Kopa undergoes a journey of self-identity to reclaim his throne. Kopa's journey into the Lion King multiverse 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 that focuses on the question of black identity.

Rob Lowe (*"The Outsiders"*) and Lacey Chabert (*"The Wild Thornberrys"*) reprise their vocal performances of Kopa and Vitani, respectively. Chiwetel Ejiofor (*"Doctor Strange"*), Lupita Nyong'o (*"Black Panther"*), Kelly Rowland (*"Freddy vs. Jason"*), and Beyoncé (*"Black Is King"*) guest star as Kaliban, Adah, Celia, and Zola.

## Voice cast

### Starring

* Rob Lowe as **Kopa**
* Lacey Chabert as **Vitani**
* Chiwetel Ejiofor as **Kaliban**
* Lupita Nyong'o as **Adah**
* Savannah Lee Smith as **Kasi**
* Sophie Reynolds as **Tazama**
* Sabrina Carpenter as **Shabaha**
* Rachel Crow as **Imara**
* Naomi Campbell as **Cardi**
* Gary Anthony Williams as **Elijah**
* Kelly Rowland as **Celia**
* Beyoncé as **Zola**

## Appearances

### Species

* Lions
* Tigers
* Cape buffalo
* Vultures
* Hornbills
* Zebras
* Elephants
* Giraffes
* Crocodiles
* Owls
* Mandrills
* Gorillas
* Hyraxes
* Monsters
* Ligers (debut)
* Meerkats (mentioned)
* Warthogs (mentioned)
* Snakes (mentioned)
* Hyenas (mentioned)

### Locations

* Desert
* Pride Lands
	+ Lair of the Lion Guard
	+ Pride Rock
	+ Red Cliffs (debut)
* Flamingo Beach
* Lake
* Astral Dimension (debut)

### Organizations and titles

* Lion Guard
* Majordomo
* Pride Landers
* Royal Mjuzi
* Ruler of Pride Rock

### Events

* Kopa's presentation (debut)
* Battle of the Astral Dimension (debut)
* Battle of Mount Kilimanjaro (mentioned)

## Themes and analysis

The storyline of Kopa's journey of self-discovery in *Prince Kopa* acts as an allegory for the African diaspora's journey of self-discovery, with the film acting as a clarion call to the diaspora to reclaim their identity through black pride. The story of how the prince is exiled from his homeland to an alien world acts a parallel to the story of how Africans were forcibly removed from the continent and taken to the United States as slaves. As Kopa grows up, he is plagued by the question of his identity, reflecting African Americans' continued struggle with their identity. Colonialism, slavery and the oppression of black people has severed their connection to their heritage and has caused even black people themselves to think of their culture as corrupt or worthless, in the same way Kopa was led to believe that he is undeserving of the role that was his birthright.

With *Prince Kopa*, Beyoncé is providing a solution for this. In the story of the episode, Kopa receives guidance and empowerment from his ancestors to recognize his brilliance and ultimately reclaim his throne. Similarly, with the episode, Beyoncé empowered the African diaspora to connect with their heritage, celebrate their culture and recognize their self-worth. Beyoncé said that *Prince Kopa* aims to shift "the global perception of the word 'Black'" and show that "Black is regal and rich in history, in purpose and in lineage", which is achieved in the episode by showcasing a wide variety of African music styles, dances, costumes, hairstyles, settings and traditions with the help of African creatives. Inspirations of Marvel Studios' *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness* (2022) were developed for the episode's additional ideas, including the concept of a multiverse existing in the *Lion King* timeline.

## Production

### Development

By July 2021, Jon Favreau initially signed to direct *Prince Kopa*, with Barry Jenkins and Jeff Nathanson writing the script. By late 2021, Favreau stepped down as director, but remained an executive producer. Beyoncé signed on to direct and rewrite the script, showcasing the beauty and richness of the cultures in the African continent and diaspora.

### Casting

The cast and crew for *Prince Kopa* were recruited to "represent diversity and connectivity", with Beyoncé wanting to feature "raw, new talent". Rob Lowe reprised his *Revisited* role of Kopa. Nolan North was considered for the role before Lowe was cast. Lacey Chabert co-starred as Vitani, continuing her story of returning into a villain, while Sabrina Carpenter, Savnanah Lee Smith, Rachel Crow, and Sophie Reynolds returned to voice Shabaha, Kasi, Imara, and Tazama from previous *Revisited* episodes. Corey Burton and Jim Cummings were set to their vocal roles of Quint and Smolder from *Timon & Pumbaa*, respectively, but were cut.

### Post-production

Kaliban's fleet was reported to be appearing in the episode in March 2022; and features actors who starred in previous *Lion King* media: Avery Brooks was to voice a new version of Mohatu that combines elements from his previous performance, including a line of dialogue from *The Brightest Star* (1994); Chiwetel Ejiofor portrays Kaliban after voicing Scar in the 2019 photorealistic remake of *The Lion King*; Amy Sedaris was to voice Zuzu after previously cameoing as a guinea fowl in *The Lion King* (2019); Brad Garrett was ti voice Boma after starring as Boss Beaver in *The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa* (1995-1999); and Donald Glover was to voice Ahadi after portraying Simba in *The Lion King* (2019). Also in the group was to be Lupita Nyong'o as Adah, a liger colored after the tigress in the *Timon & Pumbaa* episode "Doubt of Africa".

There were also rumors that Rachel House and James Sie would reprise their roles as Mama Binturong and Smun after guest starring in *The Lion Guard*, but were scrapped, as they and other planned character cameos were deemed unnecessary and would negatively affect the story. An ensemble cast of cameo appearances was restored for "Lion Guard: Wild Schemes and Catastrophes", the final episode of Phase 6 of *Revisited*.

## Music

*Prince Kopa* is based on the music of *The Lion King: The Gift*, with the following songs receiving corresponding visuals in the episode: "BIGGER", "BROWN SKIN GIRL", and "ALREADY". An extended version of "BLACK PARADE" was used for the episode's credits.

The film's score was composed by James William Blades, MeLo-X, and Derek Dixie, while Beyoncé and Derek Dixie acted as music directors. The score contains traditional African music from the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music and released by Smithsonian Folkways.

## Reception

### Critical response

*Prince Kopa* was praised for Beyoncé's direction, the cultural themes, animation, production design, music, and Lowe and Chabert's vocal performances, with criticism directed towards the screenplay.

## Trivia

### General

* This episode was to explore the concept of a multiverse to connect *Lion King*-related media and their characters to *Revisited*, including *The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa*, *The Lion King: Six New Adventures*, and *The Brightest Star*.

### In development

* During Vitani's attack on Kaliban's fleet, Kaliban was to be petrified in the ground below by Zola.

* An early post-credits scene featured a recuperating Kaliban sending Jelani to kill Kopa.

* Shannon Chan-Kent, Wizkid, Billy Eichner, and Seth Rogen were initially reported to voice Smolder, Elijah, Choyo, and Chewa.