Elton John Not a Fan of ‘Lion King’ Reboot: ‘The Magic and Joy Were Lost’
Written by SOURCE on October 16, 2019
Though it’s difficult to admit, it’s time we all come to an agreement regarding the general shittiness of the new The Lion King. Even Elton John thinks so.
That’s one of the takeaways from the icon’s recent interview with British GQ, during which the prolific artist gives his assessment on where the filmmakers went wrong with the 2019 retelling.
“The new version of The Lion King was a huge disappointment to me, because I believe they messed the music up,” Sir Elton said when asked if he had seen the new version, helmed by Jon Favreau. “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 also noted the difference in charts performance between the two film’s soundtracks, saying he ultimately wished he had been able to have more involvement with the creative process behind the 2019 edition’s music.
“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,” he said. “That makes me extremely sad. I’m so happy that the right spirit for the music lives on with the Lion King stage musical.”
While the new Lion King did predictably make quite a bit of money at the global box office, critics’ comments in retrospect prove pretty apt. While remarks of the technological leaps present in the production were ubiquitous, equally as prominent were critics downright perplexed by how something with a goal of lifelike renderings could ultimately be such a cold and lifeless cinematic experience.
Anyhow, ditch Lion King and instead enjoy this update on Eminem’s wedding gift to Elton John.