Ragesh Dipu
Paramount’s upcoming Elton John biopic ‘Rocketman’ gears up to the Croisette, with the official announcement for the 2019 Cannes Film Festival is just a few days away. The musical-biopic stars Taron Egerton as the iconic British singer Elton John. ‘Rocketman’ revealed seven-minute exclusive footage at Paramount’s CinemaCon presentation to the overwhelming response from the audience. Fans of Taron Egerton, who is known for his role as Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin in the ‘Kingsman’ movie franchise, are eagerly waiting for the movie for so many reasons.
The premise of Egerton portraying Elton John has been arousing quite a buzz ever since the announcement of the project. ‘Rocketman’ also stars Jamie Bell as songwriter Bernie Taupin and Richard Madden as Elton’s manager and boyfriend John Reid. The biopic is touted as a musical fantasy based on the legendary singer’s celebrated life. The extended first look is shown at Cinemacon showcases Elton as Reginald Dwight, an introvert child genius with a natural flair for classical piano. The footage gives a sneak peek into his transformation as a powerhouse of musical talent by the time of his youth. The singer is also seen as a middle age man with a troubled outlook of the world around him.
Egerton’s mind-blowing performance as Elton is the highlight of the movie. According to the reports, the actor, who is an ardent fan of the singer, captures Elton’s pulsating creative energy and explores the layers of doubt, arrogance and determination which made Elton an enigma. As a double ticket, Egerton has also lent his voice to the singing in the movie. According to producer Giles Martin, John has said he hasn’t heard anyone sing his songs better than Egerton!
David Furnish, Elton John’s husband, produced the movie which was gestating for such a long time of 12 years. ‘We kept our heads down and worked away, but really it wasn’t until La La Land cleaned up on the awards circuit and became a huge, buzzed-about film that we realized there was an audience for these kinds of stories,’ Furnish said in an interview. Following the humongous success of the blockbuster ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ which collected over $800 million worldwide, Paramount is confident to hit a jackpot with the Elton John biopic. The Studio aims to cash on Elton John’s iconic stature as a beloved gay singer and his massive global appeal. Paramount claims the movie is an uncensored look at Elton’s life in the years before he emerged as a sensation in 1972. The screenplay of the movie is written by Lee Hall, known for ‘Billy Elliot.’
Dexter Fletcher, who was in the headlines for helming the similar musical biopic, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ during the last leg of its schedule. He was brought in to take things into his hand when the producers fired Bryan Singer from the director’s chair. Though details of the rift are still unclear, Singer managed to hold onto the sole director’s credit, thanks to the Directors Guild of America. While Fletcher had to tag his name with the executive producer credit.
A recently released trailer of ‘Rocketman’ has already raised comparisons with ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ ‘Rocketman’ is crucial for actor Egerton as well. The actor is eager to wash off the stains of the dismal box office reception of his last flick ‘Robin Hood.’ Watch the official trailer below.
Paramount Pictures releases ‘Rocketman’ on May 31, 2019.
