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PRIDE ROCK — Be prepared … for a live-action “Lion King” movie without Scar’s classic villainous anthem.
Elton John, who composed the original songs for the animated 1994 version, recently told British newspaper The Sun that the new movie would include just four of his songs: “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” “Hakuna Matata,” “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” and “Circle of Life.”
That list is missing “Be Prepared,” which features the villain Scar singing his dastardly plans to an army of hyenas.
As the hyenas march in formation behind Scar, it’s a truly sinister moment of the movie that invokes imagery of an authoritarian regime.
But it looks like the live-action version won’t have that moment.
John also told The Sun that the remake will feature a new song during the end credits. He said Beyoncé might have a hand in writing that song, as well as Tim Rice, John’s co-composer for the original “Lion King” songs.
He didn't say why the filmmakers had made the decision to drop "Be Prepared."
The remake is scheduled to be released in July 2019 and will star Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé as Nala and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar.
It will be directed by Jon Favreau, who previously directed the 2016 live-action version of “The Jungle Book,” another classic Disney movie. The remake featured several beloved songs from the 1967 original, including “The Bare Necessities,” “Trust In Me” and “I Wanna Be Like You.”
Also among live-action Disney remakes is last year’s “Beauty and the Beast,” starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. It’s a remake of the 1991 animated original.
That movie featured many of the same songs from the original, including “Gaston,” “Be Our Guest” and the title song. Two new songs, performed near the end of the movie, also got added to the remake’s soundtrack — a Beast solo called “Evermore” and an ensemble number called “The Mob Song.”
Perhaps Favreau and the powers that be at Disney will reconsider dropping "Be Prepared" in order to give Ejiofor’s Scar his moment in the limelight.
What do you think about the decision to leave out the song?
