CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.
Beyonce is a talent that has reached across various mediums, including music and film. These two interests collide each time Queen Bey releases another visual album, often to the surprise of the general public. The latest of these projects is Black is King, which is streaming exclusively on Disney+. It's a gorgeous exploration of The Lion King's themes, but it turns out that one iconic moment was actually shot in Beyonce's backyard.
Beyonce directed Black is King alongside a stellar group of artists, bringing the vision for a modern take on The Lion King with the help of last year's album The Lion King: The Gift. The track "Already" features Shatta Wale and Major Lazer, and features some stunning visuals of Beyonce's face and body painted. And it turns out that shot of Bey in in a tree was actually in the singer's home. As co-director Kwasi Fordjour recently revealed,
The tree shot in 'Already,' That was her backyard. Yeah, that was the adrenaline [rushing] because she was like, 'I want to shoot, let's do it. Let's start at my house.' I was like, 'Hell yeah, let's do it!' So we scouted and we found the tree that felt like it was the most relative to The Lion King.
Sometimes you have to work smart and not harder. Because while Black is King features Beyonce and company in all sorts of stunning locations, the filmmakers were also able to shoot powerful footage from the comfort of Beyonce's home. And the results were some of the movie's most striking visuals.
Black is King is available exclusively on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
Kwasi Fordjour's comments to ET help peel back the curtain on production for Black is King on Disney+. The visual album is obviously something that Beyonce put her heart and soul into. In addition to the work that comes with producing an album, the Grammy Award winner also brought a specificity and artistry to the each song's video, as well as the musical interludes that connected the tracks. And that included shooting in her very own backyard.
Disney+ has been releasing a ton of highly anticipated projects over the past few months. Just weeks after Hamilton dominated pop culture and inspired a surge in app downloads, Black is King was released for subscribers. The streaming movie's cinematography and costuming instantly went viral, as Beyonce celebrated her third visual album (not counting Homecoming).
Black is King and the album The Gift were both inspired by Beyonce's role in Jon Favreau's The Lion King. The remake was nearly identical to the original animated blockbuster, although the role of Nala was expanded. What's more the track "Spirit" was added to the film, which is now the finale of Black is King.
Black is King is currently streaming on Disney+. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
