Elton John Biopic Coming To Big Screen

Music icon Elton John is now prepping a biopic on his own rise to stardom. Tentatively titled ROCKETMAN, the screenplay is being written by Lee Hall, who adapted his own screenplay for the musical adaption of BILLY ELLIOT, for which John supplied the music. The film, which is timed to coincide with the musician’s 65^th birthday next year, focuses on his breakthrough years in the 1970s when his meteoric rise to the top of the pop charts was also accompanied with private battles with drugs and alcohol. The film, to be produced by John’s life and business partner David Furnish, also details John’s long road to acceptance of his homosexuality and his eventual search for stability. Both John and Furnish have said that they are not looking to make a traditional biopic in the vein of RAY or WALK THE LINE, but are looking to create a non-linear narrative with big, over-the-top production numbers, which is why Australian director Baz Luhrmann (MOULIN ROUGE) is a possible directorial pick. As to whom would play the rocker, a number of names have emerged, including British actor James McAvoy, or possibly a series of actors, a la the recent Todd Haynes film about Bob Dylan, I’M NOT THERE. Stay tuned…..

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