Elton John Is Not A Fan Of The New ‘Lion King’
Oct 17, 2019, 2:01 PM | Updated: Jun 7, 2022, 4:02 pm
The legendary singer -- who provided the music for the original "Lion King" film -- says he's not a fan of the remake.
(CNN) –– You won’t be able to feel the love tonight from Elton John.
The legendary singer — who provided the music for the original “Lion King” film — says he’s not a fan of the remake.
In an interview with British GQ, John said “The new version of ‘The Lion King’ was a huge disappointment to me, because I believe they messed the music up.”
“Music was so much a part of the original and the music in the current film didn’t have the same impact,” he said. “The magic and joy were lost.”
The popular soundtrack from the 1994 “The Lion King” contains such classics by John as “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.”
The film remake, released in July, stars the voices of Donald Glover and Beyoncé, the latter of whom did a curated album titled “The Gift” based on the project.
John told British GQ the new soundtrack “hasn’t had nearly the same impact in the charts that it had 25 years ago, when it was the bestselling album of the year.”
“The new soundtrack fell out of the charts so quickly, despite the massive box office success,” he said. “I wish I’d been invited to the party more, but the creative vision for the film and its music was different this time around and I wasn’t really welcomed or treated with the same level of respect. That makes me extremely sad.”
John performs the song “Never Too Late” on the latest soundtrack and also co-wrote the Beyoncé track “Spirit,” which she performs in the photo-realistic film.
At least one production of “The Lion King” is apparently music to John’s ears.
“I’m so happy that the right spirit for the music lives on with ‘The Lion King’ stage musical,” he said.
The-CNN-Wire
