Disney's "The Lion King" will feature a duet between Beyonce and Donald Glover. The pair, who voices Nala and Simba respectively in the film, will sing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" which was one of the most popular tracks in the original movie.
"The Lion King" actor Billy Eichner, who voices Timon in the movie, confirmed that there will be a duet between the two lead stars. He told Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live" that the song will pretty much retain the tune and melody of the original version.
As it happened in the animated version, Timon and Pumba (Seth Rogen) will be goofing around while singing parts of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" But the song will segue to Beyonce and Glover as they fall in love. Eichner also said that he did not get to meet Beyonce during the song's recording but he's quite happy he'll get to sing with the Grammy-winning star on the big screen.
Elton John composed and recorded "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" for the soundtrack of "The Lion King" in 1993. The animated version, however, featured the voices of Kristle Edwards and Joseph Williams as Nala and Simba.
Meanwhile, Eichner also addressed the criticisms against "The Lion King" live-action film. Fans say that it's not exactly a "live-action" production since it's heavily done with CGI and not real animals.
The actor said that it was Disney that insisted on calling it the live-action version to differentiate it from its earlier animated version. But if it were up to Eichner, he'd call the movie a "hyperrealistic animation."
But Disney president Sean Bailey clarified that "The Lion King" is neither live or animated. Instead, it presents a new form of filmmaking that has yet to be defined.
"The Lion King" is directed by Jon Favreau ("Iron Man"). Aside from Beyonce, Glover, Rogen and Eichner, the movie will also feature the voices of John Oliver, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodward and John Kani. Only James Earl Jones is part of the animation and the live-action versions as the voice of King Mufasa. Hans Zimmer, who scored the original movie, has also returned to make the music for the new version.
The movie will also introduce a few new characters that aren't in the cartoons. Hence, fans should expect a slight deviation in the upcoming flick. "The Lion King" will open in theaters on July 19, 2019.
