Taron Egerton Channels Elton John in First Look for Biopic Rocketman

By Stephan Cho  |  September 28, 2018 | 11:38am
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty
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Taron Egerton Channels Elton John in First Look for Biopic Rocketman

Kingsman and future Robin Hood Taron Egerton is certainly making some choices in the first look for forthcoming Elton John biopic Rocketman, which Paramount shared on Twitter early Friday morning.

Egerton plays the British singer circa the early ‘70s, around the time of his breakthrough with massive hits like “Rocket Man,” the song which gives the biopic its name, and his costume in the first look certainly evokes the era. He’s sporting a gold lamé jacket, garish shades, winged boots and, of course, plenty of bare leg.

Rocketman comes from director Dexter Fletcher, who unofficially took over directing duties for Bryan Singer on the forthcoming Bohemian Rhapsody, which will transform another young actor, Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek, into another larger-than-life, seminal British musician, Queen’s late vocalist Freddie Mercury.

Paramount describes Rocketman as “an epic musical fantasy” and “an uncensored human story,” and it looks like we’re certainly getting plenty of the former, although we’ll have to see how much of John’s offstage issues, such as his battles with drug and alcohol addiction, end up in the finished film.

On how best to play him, John reportedly gave Egerton the advice to “embody the spirit,” as opposed to doing a direct impersonation, which suggests that the legendary singer will have at least a nominal say in his own biopic. But hopefully we’ll still be getting getting a musical biopic that offers some deeper insights into its subject.

Hear Paste archival audio of John performing “Rocket Man” circa 1986 below.

 
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