Elton John is absolutely disappointed at Jon Favreau’s The Lion King remake and he’s not hiding how he feels. The singer-songwriter has gone so far as to call it a “huge disappointment” in a recent interview.
Most critics of the film have pointed out that the CGI live-action remake was too realistic. People online have even compared it to watching National Geographic. However, it wasn’t the visual effects that didn’t sit well with Elton John’s taste.
The legendary performer pointed out that it was actually the music that didn’t cater to his liking. Now, he says that the new film had “messed” up the soundtrack. Music is an integral part of the 1994 film, something that John was heavily involved in. He composed music for the animated classic’s original score.
John spoke about the matter with British GQ while promoting his memoir:
“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. The magic and joy were lost,” he added.
So can we take this as an indirect swing at Beyoncé? Probably a direct one. John’s remarks clearly mean that he did not approve of the superstar curating the film’s album, “The Gift”.
Later on in the interview, he lamented the fact that he wasn’t as involved in creating music for the remake. “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.” With that being said, there might be just a hint of resentment clouding his judgment.