See Taron Egerton’s stunning transformation for Elton John movie Rocketman
The first picture has arrived of Kingsman star Taron Egerton playing Sir Elton John for upcoming film Rocketman.
Egerton is set to go from starring alongside Sir Elton, in 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle, to playing the gay icon himself in the upcoming film.
The project will feature generous helpings of Sir Elton’s greatest hits, but Egerton has clarified that the project is not a straight biopic based on the singer’s life.
He told Collider: “Everyone thinks it’s a biopic. 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.”
A photo released on Friday shows Egerton’s transformation into Sir Elton, sporting an eccentric outfit complete with the singer’s signature tinted glasses, onboard what appears to be a private jet.
The actor has gone through months of prep for the role.
Speaking in May he said: “I’ve recorded some songs. I’ve been doing singing lessons.
“The next step is I need to think about choreography and trying to create some semblance of a performance that is at least reminiscent of him.”
The film has a planned release date of May 31, 2019, with a trailer set to drop on Monday.
Dexter Fletcher is directing, with the screenplay by Lee Hall.
The project has been in the works for many years.
Sir Elton first mentioned the film plans in 2012, suggesting that Justin Timberlake was his favoured choice to star.
The singer told the LA Times he planned to co-produce the film with husband David Furnish, adding it would be a “surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a Moulin Rouge.”
He added that a “normal biopic” would not be appropriate “because my life hasn’t been like that.”
The Dark Knight Rises star Tom Hardy was linked to the project in 2013, though he departed the film when plans were revived in 2017.
