New Lion King TV Spot Features Beyonce, Donald Glover Singing 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight?'

The Lion King's new TV trailer features a classic song from the original — performed by the two stars who have the greatest pipes among its cast.

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" was perhaps the most memorable tune from the 1994 classic, and the new spot hands it over to none other than Donald Glover and Beyoncé (who voice the characters of Simba and Nala, respectively).

The brief spot simply features a montage of some of the film's insanely photorealistic cast of creatures, as Mufasa (James Earl Jones, reprising his role from the original) is heard in voiceover speaking to young Simba. "Look at the stars," he says. "The great kings look down on us from those stars... and so will I."

Throughout, Glover's and Beyoncé's voices can be heard melding perfectly in service of the iconic song, which — like all of the original movie's tunes — was composed by the legendary Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. The song was performed in the animated film by various members of the cast, while an alternate version sung by John himself played over the closing credits; this version (which featured backing vocals by John collaborator Kiki Dee, pop musician-turned-virulent-meme Rick Astley, and Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund, believe it or not) burned up the international charts and won the 1995 Oscar for Best Original Song. 

The new version sounds, in a word, fantastic. Glover and Knowles are both immensely talented vocalists, and given that they're both absolute titans of pop culture at the moment, a dazzling repeat performance on the charts seems inevitable.

Multi-hyphenate Glover and his musical alter-ego Childish Gambino have been critical darlings in the worlds of film and Hip-Hop for years, but last year's protest anthem "This is America" and its incendiary video rocketed the performer to the forefront of the public consciousness. In the last couple years, he's appeared as an actor in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and the Star Wars franchise (as young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story), and he'll complete his Disney trifecta with his lead role in The Lion King.

Beyoncé is, quite simply, the biggest pop star on Earth. Her 2016 album Lemonade had all twelve of its tracks debut on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, a feat that is unlikely to ever be equaled. Her collaborative album Everything is Love, with husband Jay-Z — who is, you know, a pretty big star himself — likewise racked up ridiculous numbers upon its release, and was only kept out of Billboard's top spot due to a period of streaming exclusivity.

Disney, in other words, could hardly have picked a higher-profile pair to duet on the tune. When it comes to the live-action Lion King, though, "high profile" is pretty much the name of the game. The flick was directed by Jon Favreau, who helmed the first two Iron Man pictures and the well-received (and visually stunning) 2016 live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book. As for the cast, there simply aren't enough hyperbolic descriptors to go around. In addition to Glover, Beyoncé, and Jones, it includes (excuse us while we take a deep breath): Seth Rogen (Long Shot), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange), Keegan-Michael Key (Toy Story 4), Amy Sedaris (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Alfre Woodard (Marvel's Luke Cage), John Oliver (host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), John Kani (Black Panther), and Billy Eichner (American Horror Story).

The House of Mouse hopes to strike twice within a very short time window with its live-action adaptations. Aladdin, which was released just last month, weathered mixed critical notices to rake in over $730 million dollars worldwide, making it a resounding box office success. That film scored a respectable $116 million dollar opening weekend, but The Lion King is tracking to absolutely blow it out of the water, with an opening frame total between $180 million dollars on the low end and $230 million dollars on the high end.

Judging by the trailers, Favreau will match or exceed the mind-blowing visual palette of The Jungle Book, and with that impeccable cast, it's hard to see how The Lion King could stumble. We'll be keeping an eye out for the first critical reactions, and we'll keep you informed; the flick hits the big screen on July 19.