Havasu Falls shine in extended Beyoncé video
Havasu Falls takes center stage and Sedona receives more screen time in an extended cut of Beyoncé’s “Spirit” music video released in conjunction with the new “Lion King” movie remake.
In fact, the in-demand waterfall deep in the Grand Canyon is so prominent in the additional footage released Friday that people are probably Googling “waterfall in Beyoncé video.”
The scenic wonder is front and center in the additional four minutes of the extended cut, starting with a soaring overhead view of the falls that looks to have been shot via drone.
Only time will tell how much the video may affect demand for reservations to visit the falls, already so popular that permits typically sell out within hours of becoming available. Reservations go on sale Feb. 1 each year.
Many hikers expressed displeasure on Facebook when Beyoncé’s crew flew to Havasu Falls on July 10, closing the falls for hours. Yet the original cut of the video, released this week along with the photo-realistic remake of “The Lion King,” showed the dramatic waterfall for fewer than 10 seconds.
The added footage features Beyoncé performing “Bigger” and shows off Havasu Falls as a picturesque oasis. While most shots show her singing with the falls centered behind her, there also are clips of Beyoncé and her daughter Blue Ivy against Havasupai’s flowing sandstone walls.
Sedona also gets more screen time in the extended version. Beyoncé and several dancers perform in the shallow waters of Oak Creek, and the city’s red rocks seem to glow behind the singer in one sweeping scene.