See Taron Egerton as Elton John in "Rocketman"
Taron Egerton is about to head out on a timeless flight. Paramount shared its first look at the "Kingsman" actor in character as Elton John for the upcoming film "Rocketman." Fans won't have to wait "a long, long time" either: the movie hits theaters on May 31, 2019.
In the "Rocketman" photo, Egerton, a Welsh actor who also stars in this year's "Robin Hood," is decked out in gold and oversized glasses, lounging in a private jet.
The film is not a traditional biopic; its description calls it "an epic musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Sir Elton John's breakthrough years." It will explore John's early career, starting with his time at the Royal Academy of Music, and take viewers through his struggles with substance abuse before catapulting into worldwide fame.
Egerton stars alongside Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard. Dexter Fletcher directs the film, with producers John and David Furnish through Rocket Pictures and Matthew Vaughn, who produced "Kingsman."
John, who's had nine No. 1 hits, five Grammys, an Oscar and a Tony, recently announced he will stop touring after a three-year farewell tour.
Of his signature style -- flashy sunglasses, bright colors and lots of sparkle -- John told Gayle King of "CBS This Morning" that it was his way of expressing himself.
"Sitting at a piano, I wanted to be flamboyant because I wasn't Mick Jagger, I wasn't Rod Stewart, I wasn't Freddie Mercury or Marc Bolan or any of those guys," he said in the interview earlier this year. "I was having so much fun."
"So, was it really your way of just standing out?"
"Yeah," he said. "It was me, I was trying to be funny, I was trying to be the real me. This was the real me, the flamboyant me."
