The September 30 issue of Entertainment Weekly
has a feature on Rocketman, the upcoming Elton John biopic the singer-songwriter and his husband, David Furnish, are working on with John’s Billy Elliot collaborator Lee Hall. “We’ve always thought there was a wonderful cinematic opportunity to tell Elton’s life story,” Furnish tells EW. “But we wanted to wait until the time was exactly right. Elton feels very excited about doing it now—he’s in a very happy place in life right now and thinks it’s a good time to artistically reflect on the past.”
The film is said to cover the early part of the out rocker’s life, from his conservative childhood as Reginald Dwight to his emergence as international pop icon Elton John. And it won’t shy away from the out rocker’s difficult times: “You can’t tell his life story without going to the dark places,” says Furnish. “We’re going to touch on those too. But at the end, we want people to come away from the cinema feeling inspired and uplifted.”
“Rocketman will be a radically different kind of biopic,” co-producer Steve Hamilton Shaw told Deadline.com, “[It’s] non-linear and hyper-visual.”
No star has been named to play John—though James Macevoy has expressed interest in the role—but Justin Timberlake did a pretty good job channeling the be-wigged entertainer in the music video for 2001’s “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore.”
Image via David Shankbone
MikeE
call me jaded or cynical, but… shouldn’t a biopic be initiated by someone OTHER than the person being depicted?
“Wow! why don’t I make a movie about myself!” seems so self-serving.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
Whoever their hire to play Elton John, I’m sure he’ll be pretty–and straight. God forbid an out gay actor get the job.
Atlas
What gay actor in his right mind would take this job? He’d never be able to play anything ever again.
velocifero
Am I the only gay male who really doesn’t care about Elton John, especially after he performed at his friend Rush Limbaugh’s wedding, and the several Saudi princes over the years? He’s an out version of Liberace. Yawn.
the crustybastard
@velocifero:
No, you are not alone. The difference between a $10 whore and a $1 million whore is merely that one of the whores has money.
Elton John should write a song called “I Don’t Care, Just Pay Me” and get it over with.
Ray
Fuck that old traitor. He needs to pack up his house boy and that kid they bought for attention then go the hell back to England and stay there.
Little Kiwi
you guys *are* aware that the money he was paid went ENTIRELY to the AIDS Foundation he created decades ago…right?
I’m not excusing his choice to perform at Bigotty Nitwit’s Wedding, but I’m asking you if YOU are aware of the FACT that the money he made from it was put entirely into AIDS research.
*Are* you all aware of that?
by all means, criticize his choice to perform for those people. but remember that he did not pocket the money – the money went to the AIDS foundation he established.
WillBFair
A smidge of Elton’s cash would be better spent on docudramas about historic gay heroes and geniuses.
walt
I’m glad I’m not the only one who was disgusted by him playing for rush. I don’t care what he did with the money. He. Sang. For. rush limbaugh.
Elton is dead to me.
Bryan
Ha ha, the headline is the first thing that made me LOL on this site in a long, long time.
Michael
Even though the money went to a good cause which I am grateful for.Elton could have easily found someone more gay friendly to perform for their wedding.Even sadder is not long after this Rush went back to his anti gay bullshit on his pathetic vile radio show.
Lardass really needs to lose some weight also otherwise hes gonna wind up 6 foot under.Not saying that would be a bad thing but I find it hard to wish someone to die especially after losing my father.
Little Kiwi
“Elton could have easily found someone more gay friendly to perform for their wedding:
Elton is not looking for weddings to perform at. He was offered 1 million dollars to perform for a bigot, he took the gig, and the money went to the AIDS charity.
If one is going to be upset about that event then be upset for the right reason.
While it may not have changed the mind of Rush, it certainly embodied what people are always harping about on this site – namely “being the bigger man”
so what’s the deal? don’t stoop to their level, don’t be a “good example of a bigger man” and turn down 1 million dollars that went to an AIDS charity?
I don’t like that he performed for Rush. But it seems some of you dont’ like it for the wrong reasons.
Michael
@Little Kiwi:
zzzzz as usual .
Little Kiwi
“zzzz” meaning what? Elton is not “looking for weddings to perform at” – he was invited to this one. if you’re going to dislike what he did you need to be aware of the reality of the circumstances surrounding his performance there.
this is called having an “Informed Opinion.”
Michael
@Little Kiwi:
I dont need to be aware of anything as usual you are just looking for an argument as ALWAYS.
Could care less if he was invited or not also the man performed for someone who HATES us and wishes us dead basically on a daily basis.Pardon me if I have more integrity and self respect then to ever do something like that.I am grateful that the money went to a worthy cause and shit LardassLimbaugh in the foot as he deserved.My ENTIRE point though was sleeping with the enemy does not help us it helped this ONE single time and that was only because it was charity.Otherwise this is the same thing as sleeping with the enemy.Why would anyone perform for someones wedding (EXCLUDING charities) getting married to another woman when that same man getting married is against 2 people of the same sex getting married? Hell I wouldn’t celebrate him id condemn him for his hypocrisy.
So excluding charities that help us I do not see any other reason why someone would do what Elton did.If it hadn’t been for this charity Elton would have been put in a very negative light.Thats what you continue to leave out the fact that if it werent for the aids charity Elton would have been no better then the bigots performing at their wedding.
Talk about a slap in the face to your own community.
Dave
Elton John is the world’s biggest famewhore and I used to like his very early music before he became the ego he is now.
Take, for example, one of the most famous tributes by one of the biggest famewhores in history: Elton John at Diana’s funeral. Did he talk about how awesome Diana thought he was, read from a letter in which Diana praised him? No.
Little Kiwi
I hear people saying “we need to be the bigger man” and “we need to set a good example.”
You said “he could have found someone else’s wedding to perform at” – that makes no sense. Elton John is not seeking weddings to perform at. he was invited to this wedding. i’m sure he no doubt weighed it over and decided it could be 1 Million Dollars to his AIDS charity.
who knows? perhaps Elton performing at this bigot’s wedding COULD have changed his mind. if it had, wouldn’t we all be thrilled?
as is, it doesn’t seem to have changed anything. but it did put 1 million dollars toward the AIDS charity.
it’s very funny how you’ll give a pass to people who vote for Anti-Gay Republican candidates (mainly because they argue with me, and that makes you feel good 😉 hehehe) and talk about “peace despite differences” yet have no room to think about what elton john did on a grander scale.
your dad must be so proud.
Michael
@Little Kiwi:
Wow you are truly a disgusting individual thanks for continuing to prove that.No unlike you moron I show respect to people who actually DESERVE respect.In this world you have to earn that and the way you treat people little boy does not deserve one iota of respect.
My father was very proud of me I loved him he meant the world to me .My parents both raised me with compassion love and respect when I came out to them in 2007 they loved me unconditionally even though they did not quite understand it at the time.
No I did think of what Elton John did on a grander scale your delusions of grandeur just constantly make you feel that you are entitled to be right all the time. I took time this weekend to reevaluate my actions here thats why I chose to completely ignore you but as usual you continue to pick and prod people to get into it with you.No matter how much you lie about it you do this intentionally just to get a rise out of people.
Unlike you I WAS raised better I never said your parents werent proud of you I just said they failed you in regard of teaching you how to respect people but you are never capable of that… especially when they god forbid disagree with your opinions. I refuse to sink to your level though I was ashamed enough of my behavior here last week as it is.That will not happen again.
I never gave anyone a pass either you fool I did something that YOU are never capable of doing showing respect and civility to someone else despite our differences and despite the differences in our opinions.YOU are the one who never learned how to do that I did however.But I regrettably let my real life blind me to how hateful I was to people here.Whilst I dont like hardly any of you I still should not have taken that anger out on any of you… unfortunately even you.
I have said my peace I suggest you get a grip already I am tired of even speaking to you only to have people bash me and jump all over me for my opinions.Heaven forbid though anyone ever disagree with YOU otherwise you’ll tell them their parents were not proud of them or tell them to go hang themselves.You have the nerve to claim anything about MY father when your actions continuously prove YOU are the one who has nothing to be proud of period.
walt
little kiwi, you’re not in kansas anymore.
Lefty
Endures boring middle class upbringing.
Plays in a crap band.
Desperate to get out.
Goes solo.
Meets the mediocre poet what writes his lyrics.
Begins touring as Horatio The Singing Potato.
Success!!!
First single, “Spud!” becomes biggest selling single since the dawn of man.
Makes lots of money.
Spends lots of money,
Takes lots of drugs
Travels the world
Marries a woman.
Hits dry up.
Career dies on its ass.
Comes out as a gay.
Boring crazy royal dies.
Performs at funeral.
Becomes “national treasure”.
Writes music for cartoon.
Performs for Rush Limbaugh.
Becomes rich homophobes’ favourite performing house fag.
World’s gay community shuts the metaphorical door in his big fat face.
He organises a huge conference of all the world’s homophobes for whom he will perform a medley of all his classic pop tunes… but once inside he locks them all in and murders them all with his big bare manly and slighly chubby hands.
He goes on the run, but can’t run very far without getting out of breath so retreats to his compound where he’s surrounded by the homophobic fuzz.
Dies in a hail of bullets atop a giant diamond encrusted golden dildo to the rousing strains of his paen to the humble lettuce, “Rocket Man”.
The End. :'(
the crustybastard
Presumably, if Maggie Gallagher donated her salary to the Maggie Gallagher Foundation for Obesity Research, there are certain persons here who would advise us to overlook the source of those donated funds and simply be content to regard her as a morally superior individual engaging in commendable charitable work.
LOL.
Michael
@the crustybastard:
I always thought Maggie should donate to Feed the Children its a worthy organization and god knows she has TONS of food in her refrigerator.
On second thought that’d probably be a bad idea I could just see her now looking at the kids : OMZG SNACKS!
Little Kiwi
*yawn*
Do I like Limbaugh? No. Do I think anything will change his mind on LGBT People in America? No. He’s made his deal with the devil – he makes his money by saying things that uneducated bigoted low-thinkers want to hear. it’s all stupid, and Limbaugh no doubt believes almost none of it – he simply knows his stupid listeners believe it.
i think it’s borderline poetic that an openly gay singer performed at his THIRD wedding and paid 1 million dollars to an AIDS charity.
do i like the idea of a gay man performing music at the (third) wedding for a man who spouts anti-gay rhetoric? No.
But I do indeed like one million much-needed dollars going to an AIDS charity.
if we’re goign to defend gay people who vote for anti-gay candidates why not support a gay man who let a right-wing blowhard pay him 1 million dollars, that went to an AIDS CHARITY, when all he had to do was single a couple songs?
separate intellectual rationale from emotional response, folks.
Michael
@Little Kiwi:
Yawn is right you are indeed boring.You constantly prattle on with your holier then thou self righteous self-aggrandizing comments. If I could roll my eyes at you I certainly would.
It’s always your way or no way right little boy? Of course it is zzzzz.
Little Kiwi
I just think it’s rather silly to defend people who vote for anti-gay Republicans and then not understand that what Elton John did was perform a few songs that got 1 million dollars to an AIDS charity.
think about the irony – a man who trumpets “traditional marriage” had a gay man perform songs at his THIRD wedding and put 1 million dollars into an AIDS charity.
like i said, separate the facts with intellectual rationale from your emotional response.
Michael
@Little Kiwi:
Kindly quit telling people what they should and should not do.Just because some of us here do not have your massive knowledge (rolls eyes) does not give you the right to treat people as if they are dense or stupid which you STILL continue to do here on a daily basis.
Just something for you to think about.
Amazing how you claim people are DEFENDING people who vote for anti gay republicans and I know you are referring to me considering I have spoken with civility and respect towards Politically Incorrect Thug. I never once defended him voting for an anti gay republican BUT I also did not bash him or treat him with utter disregard and demean his opinion just because I did not agree with him on that specific matter.Once again something for you to think about dear.
Little Kiwi
You’re “telling” Elton John what he should have done. I’m saying that I can totally see your side. Truly. It’s the same emotional opinion I have, actually. I hate the idea of performing at the THIRD wedding of this blowhard pig – but if one can do it and be The Bigger Man and at the same time get 1 million dollars donated to an AIDS Charity, then in the grand scheme of things is that not a GOOD thing?
Michael
@Little Kiwi:
Yes I agree with you there.I am very glad that the money from that wedding went to an AIDS charity.I also love that it bites Limbaugh in the ass the voice of hate is silenced by an act of selfless love that benefits deserving human beings.I love the irony of it all Limbaugh being nothing but the epitomy of hate realizing that the money went to an AIDS charity.Priceless.