Elton John biopic Rocketman: new trailer and what to expect

For a musician as OTT as Elton John, it’s a welcome relief to see that the first glimpse of his forthcoming biopic spares none of the camp glamour and theatrical excess of his musical performances. Described as an ‘epic musical fantasy’ by Paramount Pictures, the new, full-length trailer to the Dexter Fletcher-directed film features swimming pools, booze and plenty of drama, as well as the obligatory glitter and improbably large sunglasses.

It also showcases not only Kingsman star Taron Egerton in the main role (who is singing all the songs himself), but Jamie Bell as John’s songwriter partner Bernie Taupin, Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden as his manager John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as his mother. The film is produced by John himself, alongside his husband David Furnish and Matthew Vaughn, yet the trailer doesn’t shy away from showing the alcohol-fuelled excesses of the singer's heyday.

Whilst as far back as 2012, John expressed a desire for Justin Timberlake to play him in a biopic, and the role later was attached to Tom Hardy. The trailer now doubles down on the initial images of Egerton as John, showing the actor’s uncanny embrace of the artist's singular look.

Taron Egerton plays Elton John without losing any of the artist's integral sartorial flair

The film is scheduled to be released 31 May 2019, but until then John seems to be enjoying an entirely separate cultural resurgence. As well as the omnipresent Snickers ads, his 1972 song ‘Rocket Man’ was recently sampled by out-there American rapper Young Thug for his recently-released song ‘High’. As well as being mutual fans of each other’s work, the two very different vocalists share a penchant for lavish, often gender-bending clothing.

Rap relevance aside, anticipation remains high for the film as audiences prepare to launch headfirst into the (very literal) glitz of the story of what must be one of music’s most naturally cinematic icons. One thing is certain: it already looks better than Bohemian Rhapsody.