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‘Mufasa’ director Barry Jenkins uses his experience making ‘Moonlight’ in Miami to helm Disney prequel – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

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‘Mufasa’ director Barry Jenkins uses his experience making ‘Moonlight’ in Miami to helm Disney prequel – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale


With millions of people living in SoFlo, there have to be a few who are going to make it big in Hollywood. Barry Jenkins is one of those few shooting stars. The award-winning director is at the helm of Disney’s newest flick — “Mufasa: The Lion King” — and he even knows our little show!

Barry Jenkins: “I know Deco Drive. I grew up in Miami. I know Deco Drive. Woo!”

Yay! We love you!

Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins knows a thing or two about the 305 life, and now he’s the leader of the pack in Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King.”

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Barry Jenkins: “You know, it’s interesting. When I first read the script, I was trying to figure out how this fit with the stories I tell, and ‘Moonlight,’ which we made in Miami and is about Miami, is a perfect example.”

Barry Jenkins: “If I told you I was making a film about a child who has an almost biblical experience in water and then loses a sort of parent figure and must go on this journey and rebuild their lives, I could be talking about ‘Moonlight,’ or I could be talking about ‘Mufasa.’”

“Moonlight,” of course, is the film he directed and won an Academy Award for!

There are similarities with both films, especially with the eyes!

Barry Jenkins: “You know, ‘Moonlight,’ a very Miami movie, involves quite a few close-ups. We didn’t want to shy away from allowing the audience the same intimacy with these lions. We worked with the animators and told them, ahead of time, and told the studio, ‘This is going to be a film where, sometimes, the eyes of these characters really have to communicate nonverbally.’”

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Teamwork makes the dream work, and Barry feels Mufasa’s coming-of-age journey.

Barry Jenkins: “It takes a village to raise a child. That was my experience of growing up in our wonderful city, Dade County, the 305.”

OK, what’s your favorite place to eat, like ever?

Barry Jenkins: “Mandolin Aegean Bistro, this little tiny, like this little Mediterranean restaurant. Just on the edge of the Design District. I remember when it was like five tables, and now it’s like this massive courtyard patio. But still, you go in, and the flavors are the same. Get some of that grilled octopus and some plantains. So yeah, I love Mandolin; I highly recommend it.”

“Mufasa: The Lion King” is now playing in theaters.

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Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Miami, FL

Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza is coming to Miami, led by legendary pizzaiolo chef Bun

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Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza is coming to Miami, led by legendary pizzaiolo chef Bun


If you’re a diehard pizza fanatic in Miami, you’ll soon be able to check another renowned style off your list without leaving home. Arriving in October 2026, Royale Pizza Napoletana will debut at 1680 Meridian Avenue, introducing South Florida to the exceptionally precise world of Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza. This highly anticipated opening marks the monumental stateside arrival of legendary Japanese pizzaiolo Chef Bun, the mastermind behind Tokyo’s genre-defining concept, Savoy.

RECOMMENDED: Where to find the best pizza in Miami

The restaurant is the brainchild of banking entrepreneur and restaurateur Jess Varughese, the innovator behind Miami’s ultra-exclusive, members-only hotspot, Haiku. After experiencing Chef Bun’s “perfect pizzas” during a trip to Japan, Varughese envisioned bringing this science-driven culinary movement to sunny South Florida. To ensure absolute authenticity, Varughese assembled an elite culinary team. Alongside Chef Bun, the kitchen features Haiku Executive Chef Albert Diaz and Chef Dalila Sabatino, a rising pizzaiola talent praised by Bun who previously trained at Los Angeles’ acclaimed Pizzeria Sei.

Photograph: Courtesy Royale Pizza NapoletanaRoyale Pizza Napoletana

What sets Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza apart is its rigorous, chemistry-like execution. At Royale, the dough undergoes a meticulous 30+ hour fermentation process. Varughese and his team spent hundreds of hours adjusting the recipe, combining artisan flours with the Autolyse technique and even altering Miami’s water softness to match Japan’s famously soft water. Pizzas are then baked fresh in an 800-degree oven. The resulting crust achieves an ethereal balance of lightness, chewiness, char and crunch. As Varughese notes, having Chef Bun’s 20-plus years of innovation on board elevates the entire culinary game.

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Royale will be fast-casual, yet polished, with seating for 65 guests including a large community table at its center. Staying true to an accessible vibe, the restaurant will operate on a first-come, first-served walk-in basis with no reservations, though takeout and delivery will be available. You’ll order at a main counter from a carefully curated menu featuring antipasti, two pastas, two mains and seven distinct pizzas—including four traditional options and three specials. This is a pizza spot that deserves the hype, so stay up to date on their progress at @royalenapoletana ahead of the official October launch.





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Girl, 12, shot while sitting in parked car in northwest Miami-Dade, deputies say

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Girl, 12, shot while sitting in parked car in northwest Miami-Dade, deputies say


MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A 12-year-old girl was shot in the arm after gunfire erupted in a northwest Miami-Dade neighborhood early Tuesday morning, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said they responded just before 1 a.m. to the area of Northwest 64th Street and Northwest 21st Avenue in the county’s Gladeview area, where they found three vehicles struck by gunfire, including a silver Hyundai.

“The car was parked outside of the residence. It was occupied by three juveniles, so it was the girl and her two siblings that were in the vehicle. The mom was outside of the vehicle at the time, so this could have been a very different outcome,” MDSO Detective Samantha Choon said.

Authorities said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics transported the girl to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

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A family member of the victim told Local 10’s Jackie Pascale that the girl is now home and doing OK.

They said neither her siblings nor their mother was injured in the shooting.

According to investigators, no arrests have been made, and detectives have not released any suspect information at this time.

Neighbor Marie Grimes said she was shaken after hearing multiple gunshots.

“I heard the booms — boom, boom, boom, boom — and I said, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’” she said. “Maybe five or six, ’cause look at that right there. I’m just glad the little girl is OK.”

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Investigators asked neighbors to check their surveillance or Ring camera footage from around 1 a.m. and contact authorities with any information.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477. Anonymous tips are accepted.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.





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South Florida mother arrested for leaving daughter chained to fence, police say

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South Florida mother arrested for leaving daughter chained to fence, police say


A Hialeah woman was arrested and charged with child neglect for leaving her 13-year-old daughter chained to her great-grandmother’s fence in the heat with no shoes or water. CBS News Miami’s Abby Dodge reports from the neighborhood where it all happened.



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