Elton John has criticised this year’s remake of The Lion King, in particular its soundtrack.
In a new interview with GQ, John says he was disappointed with the new version, saying it was a “huge disappointment” and that he believes 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 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,” he added. “The new soundtrack fell out of the charts so quickly, despite the massive box-office success.”t
John, of course, played a vital role in the original 1994 film’s soundtrack, writing its songs alongside Hans Zimmer and performing on tracks like ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ and ‘Circle of Life’.
The film’s 2019 soundtrack was produced by Pharell Williams and included versions of old songs like ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ performed by the film’s stars Beyoncé and Donald Glover – plus a new composition by John called ‘Never Too Late’.
In addition, a Beyoncé-curated companion album entitled The Lion King: The Gift was released to coincide with the film, and included the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z and Tierra Whack.
