Brow Beat

Beyoncé and Donald Glover’s Brief Lion King Duet Should Win Over Reboot Skeptics

Two lion cubs stand facing a red-billed hornbill on a savannah.
This teaser is a good indicator of how catchy the new album is likely to be. Walt Disney Animation Studios

A TV spot for Disney’s Lion King reboot features a snippet of the long-awaited cover of Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” that reportedly made Billy Eichner cry. In the latest sneak peek at the “live-action” (really CGI) remake, Beyoncé and Donald Glover deliver a chills-inducing duet that is likely to get even skeptics on board.

At the very least, it’ll get the song stuck in their heads: After three repeat viewings of the clip, I found myself quietly singing the classic as I wrote this post. [Editor’s note: It’s true. I was sitting across from her.] The TV spot also contains some O.G. Mufasa narration by James Earl Jones, imparting leonine fatherly wisdom like, “Look at the stars—the great kings look down on us from those stars. And so will I.”

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If this clip is any indicator for the rest of the new movie’s soundtrack, it’s sure to be full of slightly reimagined bangers (minus “Be Prepared”). Because the teaser spot is just that, a teaser, it’s designed to leave viewers wanting to hear the entire version, which most likely won’t be available until July when the movie premieres. Until then, we’ll just have to listen to Elton John’s original on repeat.

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