‘Rocketman’ Featurette Lets Taron Egerton Sing As Elton John
Hollywood can’t say no to a musical biopic. They’re usually hits, and more often than not, they score Oscar noms – even if they’re not very good (coughcoughBohemian Rhapsodycough cough). But the upcomingRocketman, which tells the story ofElton John, might end up being a pleasant surprise. For one thing, it’s being sold as a “musical fantasy”, not a straightforward biopic. For another, it hasTaron Egertonin the lead, and he’s actually singing – not just lip-synching. A newRocketmanfeaturette goes behind-the-scenes of the film, and showcases Egerton’s singing prowess.
Rocketman Featurette
Everything I’ve heard aboutRocketmanso far has hinted that it’s not going to be yourtypical musical biopic. “We are making a movie calledRocketmanabout Elton John’s formative years,” star Taron Egertonpreviously said. “Everyone thinks it’s a biopic. It isn’t. It’s a fantasy musical so it’s actually his songs used to express important beats in his life at emotional moments. He’s not the only character that sings. It’s going to be fun.”
Director Dexter Fletcher seconded that. “It’s a musical fantasy, not a biopic,” he said. “We have Elton’s songs and Elton’s life story, or a part of it. And it is a fantasy version of real life. It is a true fantasy. So I am looking to create something that will entertain and inform and amaze and do many, many things.”
Sounds neat! So why does the footage in this featurette lookso muchlike your standard musical biopic, right down to a needless scene where a character asks the very famous focus of the film, “What’s your name again?” Hopefully this has just been edited to appeal to a bigger audience, and the film itself will take more risks. In any case, the real goal of this featurette is to highlight Taron Egerton’s singing. While some actors playing musicians lip-sync (see Rami Malek inBohemian Rhapsody), others take a leap and perform the singing themselves (see Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon inWalk the Line). Egerton falls into the latter category, and he certainly has the pipes for it. That said, Elton John has such a distinct voice that Egerton’s singing still sounds a bit…off to me. It’s close, but notquitethere. Perhaps it’ll work better in the final film.
Rocketman, an “epic musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years”, starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard, blasts off in theatersMay 31, 2019. In addition to the featurette, there’s a snazzy new poster below. And I imagine a new trailer is on the way as well.
