Elton John “Disappointed” By ‘The Lion King’ Remake: “They Messed The Music Up”

Tom Grater

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Elton John, who won an Oscar for his music on the original Lion King, is not a fan of Disney’s remake, calling it a “disappointment”.

In an interview this week with GQ magazine, the pop icon lamented that the studio had “messed the music up” in the latest version, which was released earlier this year.

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John said, “Music was so much a part of the original and the music in the current film didn’t have the same impact. The magic and joy were lost. The 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.”

The Brit musician composed music for the original 1994 animated classic, including the feted song Can You Feel The Love Tonight. He also composed music for the film’s hit stage adaptation.

John also revealed in the interview that he had wanted to be more involved in the project, but claimed he wasn’t invited to participate in a meaningful way.

“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. I’m so happy that the right spirit for the music lives on with the Lion King stage musical.”

Deadline reached out to Disney for comment.

The 2019 film has been a global box office smash, taking $1.7BN including $543M domestic, though it received less favorable reviews than some recent Disney reboots.

The remake saw the return of composer Hans Zimmer and re-workings of songs from the original, including a re-recording of Can You Feel The Love Tonight performed by Donald Glover and Beyoncé. It also featured new songs written and performed by Beyoncé, including the lead single Spirit.

John was recently the subject of Paramount biopic Rocketman with Taron Egerton delivering an awards-tipped performance as the flamboyant musical star.

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