The Los Angeles Times caught up with Elton John last week where they discussed his biopic. The screenplay is already written (by Billy Elliot‘s Lee Hall) but a lead actor choice has not been finalized. When asked “Who will be you?” John replied,
“I don’t know. I’ve got a wish list of people. No. 1 on my wish list is Justin Timberlake, because he played me before in a David LaChapelle video of ‘Rocket Man’ and was superb.”
I don’t know about JT in “Rocket Man” but he did play a younger Elton in this “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore.”
Director Baz Luhrmann was asked to direct but his schedule was too full. Apparently an ‘exciting’ announcement will be made soon about both that and the cast. Like Elton himself, don’t expect anything bland or unflashy.
“It’s going to be a surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a ‘Moulin Rouge!’ I just don’t want it to be a normal biopic because my life hasn’t been like that. And it only goes up to when I go into rehab in 1990. It starts with me going into rehab and ends when I come out.”
See, this movie is great for him. He gets to hand-pick some unrealistically handsome and versatile actor to play him and he doesn’t have to age. But no coverage of the Lion King years or “Candle In The Wind?” My generation won’t understand.
