Not to be outdone by Rami Malek and the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, Taron Egerton is ready to put on his jazziest suit for Rocketman, Paramount’s upcoming Elton John film that’s said to be more of a “musical fantasy” than an out-and-out biopic. Whatever that might mean.
Regardless, the Powers That Be have officially unveiled our first glimpse of the pic today via the trailer above and we must say, we’re certainly intrigued. Though elements of it do come off as just another rock-n-roll biopic, the more fantastical parts give it a refreshing feel and there’s a lot of creativity on display here. Not to mention that Egerton looks great in the lead role, too. Of course, his vocals aren’t quite on the same level as John’s, but he’s far from a bad singer.
Promising an “uncensored” look into the life and legacy of Elton John, Rocketman will take viewers on a journey through time, culminating in the historic release of the titular song, by which point John had become one of the industry’s creative powerhouses and most beloved artists in the world.
What’s also interesting is that Egerton doesn’t think the film’s a biopic. According to him, it’s actually a fantasy musical, which does make sense given what we see in the trailer. Speaking in a recent interview, the actor said:
“Everyone thinks it’s a bio-pic. It isn’t. It’s a fantasy musical so it’s actually his songs used to express important beats in his life at emotional moments. He’s not the only character that sings. It’s going to be fun.”
Rocketman blasts off into theaters on May 31st, 2019 – long after Bohemian Rhapsody brings us to our feet next month – and we can only hope that it’ll be able to rise above the mediocrity we so often see with these types of films. Though if today’s first trailer is any indication, it will, at the very least, offer something unique.
