When you think about the original Lion King, it’s impossible not to think of Elton John’s music.
The soundtrack to Disney’s much-loved animated adventure includes classic songs like Circle Of Life and Can You Feel The Love Tonight, which won an Oscar for Best Original Song at the 1994 Academy Awards.
But when it comes to this year’s Lion King remake, the 72-year-old Rocket Man singer admits he’s not a fan – even though he was involved in reworking some of the soundtrack.
In an interview with GQ, Elton admitted the 2019 update was a “huge disappointment”, despite his involvement.
“The new version of The Lion King was a huge disappointment to me,” he told the magazine. 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.
“The magic and joy were lost.”
The Lion King remake featured new tracks by Beyoncé including Spirit and Never Too Late, while the film also inspired a soundtrack curated by Queen Bey – who voiced Nala – called The Lion King: The Gift, featuring appearances from Donald Glover (Simba), Pharrell Williams and Wizkid.
The updated soundtrack failed to set the charts alight or match the huge success of the original, which became the biggest-selling soundtrack ever from an animated film
Elton added: “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.”
While the new Lion King received mixed reviews, it was a smash at the box office, raking in over $1.6 billion (£1.2 billion) worldwide.