Elton John Admits The New Version Of The Lion King Was A ‘Huge Disappointment’ | HuffPost

The Rocket Man singer won an Oscar for Can You Feel The Love Tonight, which featured in the 1994 original.

By

Head of Entertainment, HuffPost UK

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.

Elton John attends the European film premiere of Disney's The Lion King.

NurPhoto via Getty Images

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.”

Elton John is this month's GQ cover star.

GQ

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.

Elton John: 75 Rare And Beautiful Early Years Photos

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British singer, songwriter and musician Elton John (Reginald Kenneth Dwight) playing piano. Rome, 1973 (Photo by Rino Petrosino\Mondadori Portfolio by Getty Images) (credit:Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 25: Elton John performs at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, California on October 25, 1975. (Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (credit:Larry Hulst via Getty Images)

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CIRCA 1971: Pop singer Elton John poses for a portrait wearing glasses in circa 1971. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (credit:Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images)

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(Original Caption) 8/25/1975-- L-r: Rock star Elton John is shown embracing singer Bette Midler on the set of the "Cher" TV show on CBS. Both are wearing outlandish costumes. (credit:Bettmann via Getty Images)

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7th November 1970: Portrait of British-born musician Elton John playing the piano and singing. John wears sunglasses, a long-sleeved shirt covered in white stars, and many rings. (Photo by Jack Robinson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Jack Robinson via Getty Images)

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Portrait of British musician Elton John, dressed in a leather duster (or long coat) as he plays piano, 1970. (Photo by Jack Robinson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) (credit:Jack Robinson via Getty Images)

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