Elton John says The Lion King remake was a huge disappointment

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

No matter what your thoughts are regarding Disney's onslaught of live-action adaptations of their animated classic, you've got to admit that they make a hell of a lot of box-office bucks. Jon Favreau's "live-action" take on THE LION KING hit theaters this summer and grossed a mighty impressive $1.6 billion worldwide, but not everyone was a fan, and that includes Elton John.

Together with lyricist Tim Rice, Elton John wrote a number of original songs for the 1994 animated film, and also returned for THE LION KING remake to rework the songs. However, at the end of the day, John told British GQ that the final product was a "huge disappointment."

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. 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. The new soundtrack fell out of the charts so quickly, despite the massive box-office success. 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. I’m so happy that the right spirit for the music lives on with the Lion King stage musical.

While the film was certainly visually spectacular, many critics found that it lacked the energy and heart of the original film, and that came down to the musical numbers as well. What do you think? Do you agree with Elton John in regards to the musical numbers in the new film? THE LION KING will hit Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD on October 22nd.