The last time we wrote about Elton John biopic Rocketman was 2011, a long-ago time when Star Wars was still a dead property and The Avengers looked risky. But while some things have changed, the film is still on its way, and in fact today has landed a US distribution deal and taken a few more steps towards the screen.
The film is still in early pre-production, however, so don't start doing a tiny dance just yet. But FilmDistrict came aboard to distribute the film in the US, following the Cannes deal where Icon's production arm AI agreed to co-finance the film. Michael Gracey is onboard to direct the film; he previously worked in effects on Ned Kelly and also has The Greatest Showman On Earth coming up.
The film will follow Sir Elton's life from his earliest days as Reginald Dwight, misunderstood child prodigy, to the global superstar that we're all familiar with. The screenplay comes from Lee Hall, who worked on Billy Elliot and War Horse, so he should be a good fit for the story of a young boy with big dreams who ends up taking part in huge-scale events.
Steve Hamilton Shaw and Sir Elton's partner David Furnish are producing the project along with Lawrence Bender, while his music will feature throughout. So can you feel the love tonight? Or is this why they call it the blues? And who should play the man himself?