When the cast of the upcoming live-action The Lion King remake was first announced, most observers were floored at the inclusion of Beyoncé Knowles as Nala. And rightly so.
But as fans went ballistic over her upcoming appearance and the remainder of the film’s A+ casting decisions, it was possible punters overlooked the absence of one crucial Lion King figure: Elton John, whose work on the original film’s score earned him an Academy Award and worldwide adoration.
Now, The New York Daily News reports that elements of John’s work has recruited to Jon Favreau‘s flick – and that he could be collaborating on new and old tunes with Bey herself.
Citing a source who says “it is unthinkable when you have Beyoncé involved not to have her sing some of those iconic hits,” the paper reports Circle Of Life and Can You Feel The Love Tonight will be adapted for the newie.
The report comes a few weeks after ET asked John if he’d be collaborating on the remake, to which he replied “yes, I think so. I hope so.”
The Daily News states Disney Studios won’t officially announce his involvement for a little while yet, but it’s apparent the guy still has a lot of love for the story. Earlier this month, John made a rare appearance on stage of the Lion King Broadway musical to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Hell, even if John doesn’t return, the cast isn’t exactly lacking for musical talent: we can only imagine the combination of Donald Glover and Berklee-trained bassist (!!!) Eric Andre would be bloody bonza.
