Uusi Leijojakuningas oli Elton Johnille "suuri pettymys"

Leijonakuninkaan uusittu versio osoittautui mukavaksi menestykseksi, mutta kaikki eivät olleet tyytyväisiä lopputulokseen. Vuoden 1994 elokuvaan musiikkia tehnyt Elton John paljasti GQ:lle olevansa pettynyt uusintaversion tapaan käsitellä musiikkia.

"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."

72-vuotias muusikko totesi myös, ettei uudella soundtrackilla ollut listoilla samaa menestystä kuin vuoden 1994 julkaistulla soundtrackilla.

"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."

Kiitokset, Variety