We’ve had Rami Malek’s Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. We’ve had Taron Egerton’s Elton John in Rocketman. And soon, we’re going to see Johnny Flynn step into the shoes of one of Britain’s most iconic musicians – David Bowie. The actor-singer, who previously starred in the likes of Beast and Clouds Of Silk Maria, is going to play a pre-Ziggy Bowie in Stardust, and the first image of him in character has just been revealed.
Flynn will play a 24-year-old Bowie – who at that point was already an established musician, four albums into his career. Stardust should place him around the time of 1971 album Hunky Dory, which featured classic songs like ‘Changes’ and ‘Life On Mars?’, and chart the trip across America that inspired his transformation for 1972 album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.
Here’s the official synopsis: ‘Meet David before Bowie. One of the greatest icons in music history; But who was the young man behind the many faces? In 1971, a 24 year old David Bowie (Johnny Flynn) embarks on his first road trip to America with struggling publicist Ron Oberman (Marc Maron), only to be met with a world not yet ready for him. Stardust offers a glimpse behind the curtain of the moments that inspired the creation of Bowie's first and most memorable alter ego Ziggy Stardust, capturing the turning point that cemented his career as one of the world's greatest cultural icons.’
Stardust comes from director Gabriel Range, who helmed the likes of 2006’s Death Of A President and 2010’s I Am Slave, and is written by Christopher Bell. Beyond Flynn and Maron, the film will star Jena Malone as Angie Bowie. There’s no release date yet for the film, but with images starting to emerge, keep an eye out for a trailer in future.