Review Rocketman (2019)

Your thoughts on this movie.....

The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.

Egerton Replacing Hardy On Elton John Biopic?





“Kingsman” and “Eddie the Eagle” alum Taron Egerton is reportedly in discussions to replace Tom Hardy in the lead role for the Elton John biopic “Rocketman”.

Baz Bamigboye reports that 27-year-old Egerton has been having informal conversations with director Dexter Fletcher and producer Matthew Vaughn about the possibility.

The choice of Egerton is little surprise. Unlike Hardy who admits he struggles to carry a tune, Egerton is a strong tenor. The young actor worked with Hardy on “Legend,” has now done two films directed by Vaughn and recently worked with John on the “Kingsman” sequel.

The film follows teenager Reginald Dwight who won a piano scholarship at the age of 11 and went on to adopt the stage name Elton John and create numerous pop song hits. The film reportedly won’t gloss over some of the juicier parts of the openly gay and flamboyant John’s private life and is said to explore how he has retained his fame in spite of scandals.

Lee Hall penned the script for the film which had stalled until Vaughn and John worked together on “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” and decided to fast track the project which could film by the end of the year for John’s Rocket Pictures and Vaughn’s Marv Films.

“Rocketman” A Go With Egerton As Elton





Paramount Pictures is reportedly nearing a deal to finance and distribute “Rocketman,” the upcoming Elton John biopic starring “Kingsman” lead Taron Egerton as the flamboyant singer.

Dexter Fletcher, who worked with Egerton on “Eddie the Eagle,” is attached to helm the film penned by Lee Hall. The story will cover John’s emergence as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music to becoming a music superstar and his partnership with songwriting collaborator Bernie Taupin.

Matthew Vaughn and his Marv Films will produce, along with John and David Furnish. Egerton will reportedly sing the songs himself and production is set to start this summer.

PINBALL WIZARD ( The Who - Feat - Elton John - from - TOMMY The movie 1975 )

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Lyrics

Elton John plays to the Cleaning Ladies of Morecambe & Wise

This is a classic where Elton John was supposed to sing his new song on The Morecambe & Wise Show but was either late or missed out. In this classic sketch he now sings it to the Cleaning Ladies and you can guess who these two really are. Morecambe & Wise were the very best British comedians and ones that have never been replaced. I think it's so funny how Eric & Ernie kept that expression on their faces through out this song like they had been paused in time. Enjoy!

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(clip deleted off Youtube)

Elton John Biopic To Be Very R-Rated





Speaking about the upcoming Elton John biopic “Rocketman” which he’s producing for Paramount Pictures, filmmaker Matthew Vaughn has dubbed the project “the first R-rated musical”.

Though that’s not quite accurate a statement, he goes on to explain to Empire that the film will be raunchy and uncompromising with “drugs, sex, [and] rock’n’roll” on offer in a genre famous for playing things chaste.

“Kingsman” lead Taron Egerton plays John while Dexter Fletcher helms the project which is slated to release in theaters May 17th 2019.

Jamie Bell In Talks For Elton John Biopic





Jamie Bell (“Turn,” “Jumper”) is in negotiations to play famed songwriter Bernie Taupin, who collaborated on thirty albums with Elton John, in the biopic “Rocketman” for Paramount Pictures and Marv Films.

Taron Egerton (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”) plays John in the film which will explore his life and career. Taupin began collaborating on songs with John back in 1967 and worked together on hits including “Crocodile Rock,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Saturday Night’s Alright,” “Rocket Man” and “Candle in the Wind”.

Dexter Fletcher is attached to direct the film from a script by Lee Hall. John, David Furnish and Matthew Vaughn will produce.

First photo.....

Elton John - Rocket Man (Official Music Video)

Rowan Atkinson - Interview with Elton John

Rocketman (2019) - Taron Egerton is Elton John in ROCKETMAN - Paramount Pictures

Full Trailer......

Studio Wants To Cut “Rocketman” Sex?





Having seen the massive fortune that “Bohemian Rhapsody” generated, Paramount Pictures is apparently seeing green as it is reportedly demanding filmmakers cut a sex scene from the Elton John biopic “Rocketman” in order to achieve a PG-13 rating reports The Daily Mail.


In the film, Taron Egerton (“Kingsman: The Secret Service”) plays John and Richard Madden (“Game of Thrones”) is his one-time lover and manager John Reid. It’s one of the film’s most central relationships and includes a “40-second scene that shows Egerton and Madden writhing on a bed”. The scene reportedly shows off both their asses, but is said to be “tastefully done”.

The paper claims the studio is “forcing the director to cut the scene” and it appears the potential upside for profits with a PG-13 over an R-rated musical will be greater than any potential backlash over the film’s perceived ‘straightwashing’.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” was criticised for being heavily sanitised and frequently outright inaccurate – and it didn’t hurt its business or awards prospects. Yet when “Rocketman” went into production, one of its selling points was that it would be R-rated and be unafraid to go the places ‘Bohemian’ wouldn’t. Egerton last year said: “we’re not watering anything down” and was seemingly quite proud of the sex scene.

Paramount previewed footage from the film this week at The Troubadour in West Hollywood. The movie opens this summer.

“Rocketman” To Keep R-Rating, Gay Sex





A report emerged in the British press the other day that the fantasy-influenced Elton John biopic “Rocketman” featured a 40-second gay sex scene between hunks Taron Egerton (“Kingsman”) and Richard Madden (“Game of Thrones”) that the film’s studio Paramount Pictures was pressuring the filmmakers to cut at least in part.


The reason seemed to be one of economics – the scene in question was said to be a key one that shifted the film from PG-13 to R-rated territory. The studio, having seen the Marvel-level box-office that the PG-13 “Bohemian Rhapsody” brought in despite the critical drubbing it received, wanted the same.

On the flip side those involved in the film from the cast and crew, producers Matthew Vaughn and David Furnish, and Elton John himself have been pushing the movie on the fact that it will NOT be like ‘Bohemian’ and will be unafraid to offer a grittier, ‘warts and all’ approach to the material rather than the other film’s sanitised and wildly revisionist take. Star Taron Egerton earlier this week praised John for allowing him to take the character to real places, even if they don’t show John in the best light such as his darkest moments in rehab.

Well now it seems that the original report has been shot down. First up, THR reports that the film’s director Dexter Fletcher is still in the editing phase of the film but those involved including the studio are expecting an R rating for “sex scenes and drug use”. In addition, Fletcher shot down the original report in a tweet saying:

“Seeing much speculation about ROCKETMAN!! That’s good! It’s still unfinished so it’s nothing but rumors. It has and always will be the no holds barred, musical fantasy that Paramount and producers passionately support and believe in. See for yourself May 24th.”

The scene in question, featuring Egerton’s Elton John and Madden’s John Reid (Elton’s former music manager), reportedly features “the F-word several times and includes brief rear nudity, and someone snorting cocaine”. Hard pumping man buns, multiple F-bombs and drug use are all generally frowned on by censors.

The trade also reports that Paramount test screened the film last week in Pasadena and received scores in the high 80s, numbers that are said to be a promising sign for “an unfinished musical that grapples with some challenging themes, including John’s drug addiction”.

Bryce Dallas Howard, Jamie Bell, and Stephen Graham co-star in the film opening May 31st in the United States and around much of the rest of the world the week before.

William Shatner "Sings" 'Rocket Man' (1978)

From The Science Fiction Film Awards, William Shatner's unforgettable performance of Elton John's "Rocket Man".
Includes Karen Black's introduction of Bernie Taupin, and Taupin's introduction of Shatner.
Rock-It, Man... :-)
This aired on local Chicago TV on Friday, January 20th 1978.

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I saw it yesterday. Really, really liked it. The sex scene was really pretty mild, imo – the only R-rated thing about it is that it took place between two men.

I loved the costumes (my favorite being the devil costume in the opening scene) and they really did a masterful job incorporating the songs. I didn't know the lyrics were written by somebody else though – curious (I read this yesterday) that Elton John would cut out the reference to Vietnam in "Daniel". The camera angles, the whole room floating at the Pompadour, the underwater scene – all so lovely and imaginative!

The only thing that bothered me was my friend chewing her popcorn with her mouth open. I HATE hearing someone chew with his mouth open! I knew that was going to be a problem because I had gone out to breakfast with her a week earlier and there she was chewing with her damn mouth open, here it was a huuuuuge bowl of popcorn (AND she took up two armrests, grrr). Luckily she got so absorbed with the movie that halfway she stopped eating altogether. We went to a very early show – there were only two other people in the whole theater.

Rocketman reviewed by Mark Kermode