After the huge success Bohemian Rhapsody had among viewers and the critics, it was just a matter of time for other music legends to have their own cool biopics. So, on that track, Elton John joins the club of biopics this season with Rocketman (2019). The film has been in production for years, even before BoRhap, and it’s intended to thrill fans all over the world since it was given the green light a couple of years ago.
Back in 2012, Sir Elton himself started working on his own biopic, and over the years the expectation lied on who would be good enough to play the famous musician. By now, we all know that the chosen one was no other than Kingsman (2014) star Taron Egerton who, after watching the trailer, seems to be the right choice to portray such an iconic musician.
Now, there’s been rumors that some scenes regarding Elton John’s sexuality may be removed from the film to make it more suitable for younger audiences and to make it more appealing for a greater market. However, just as we saw with Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), these sorts of moves can actually make the biopic less credible or even flaky.
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So, with that in mind, here are some moments in Sir Elton John’s life we hope to see in the Rocketman biopic that are suitable for all audiences.
His emblematic performance with John Lennon
It’s hard to narrow down Elton John’s most iconic moments. But, without a doubt, one of those highlights in his life happened when he performed with John Lennon at the Madison Square Garden in 1974. Not only were two rock giants standing on the same stage, but it was also Lennon’s last live appearance, six years before he was shot outside The Dakota building. The story behind this show is actually great: both musicians had made a bet in which Lennon would agree to perform with Elton if his song “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night” reached number 1, which it did. So, they end up playing it together with “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” So, the important question here is: who would you like to play Lennon if this were to appear?
His feud with David Bowie
Elton John might look like the happiest and most open person in the world with his fun attires and bubbly personality. But, if he’s famous for something beyond his music, it’s for his many feuds with other music legends. One of those public figures who made it to his blacklist was no other than the great David Bowie. According to the story, the once-friends engaged in a row after he saw Bowie had referred to him as “rock ‘n roll’s token queen” in an interview for Rolling Stone Magazine. Their relation got all tense but the respect was always there to the point that after Bowie’s passing, Elton made performed the iconic “Space Oddity” hit.
His feud with Madonna
Elton John’s beef with Bowie was kind of nice in comparison with his feud with Madonna, which is no child’s play at all. For the past years, the Queen of Pop and Sir Elton, have had several frictions involving lots of sass and burning comments against each other. But perhaps the worst moment was when Madonna won an award for her Confessions Tour (2006) and Elton basically said she didn’t perform live but rather lip-sync and that “everyone who lip-syncs on stage in public when you pay like 75 quid to see them should be shot.” Naturally, this has sparked a huge feud between both icons that doesn’t seem to be over anytime soon.
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His uncanny tour in the USSR
Back in the day when Elton John was at the peak of his career, meaning the late seventies, it was basically out of the question for people from the West to tour at the Soviet Union. However, he was the very first artist who dared to even consider playing there at a time when Western music and culture were banned in the country. Needless to say, the uproar his performances caused wasn’t very pleasant for the Soviet government since he ended up starting a new pop movement over there full of extravagance and festive music.
His close friendship with Princess Diana
Yes, Elton had many feuds but he also had very close and endearing relationships with emblematic characters of history. One of them was no other than Princess Diana. Perhaps, one of the most heartbreaking moments in Elton John’s career was the performance he gave at Diana’s funeral in 1997. He sang his popular “Candle in the Wind,” but changed the lyrics to suit her memory and the terrible circumstances she experienced under the spotlight. A powerful and touching moment in his life that should be shown onscreen for sure.
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A Special Appearance Of Rami Malek As Freddie Mercury
How great would it be if they made some sort of Marvel Universe for all these biopics so that the actors would appear as the characters they’re performing? I mean, that’s a far better idea for us to enjoy Rami Malek’s interpretation of Freddie Mercury, than a hideous sequel to Bohemian Rhapsody, isn’t it? The thing is, Mercury and John were really (really) good friends and both shared so many memories that it would be very hard not to picture this in the movie.
Rocketman will hit theaters this May 31, and to be honest, the performances, costumes and plot are looking good (so censorship people, don’t mess it up!).
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