The Welsh actor Taron Egerton gave listeners their first taste of the soundtrack from the upcoming film Rocket Man with his take on 1972 classic of the same name…and he pulled it off to a T!
Fans of ‘Our ‘Elt who were concerned whether Egerton could fill their idol’s glittery platform shoes can rest assured, as the new music video from the film finds the actor in soulful voice crooning one of John’s signature hits.
The video released Thursday by Paramount Pictures features clips of Egerton performing the classic in a studio, along with colorful footage from the movie.
It’s the longest and most detailed, look yet at what is billed as an “epic musical fantasy” as opposed to a biopic, the film also stars Jamie Bell as lyricist Bernie Taupin, Bryce Dallas Howard as John’s mother Sheila and Richard Madden as John’s manager and lover, John Reid.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Elton said he was adamant that Egerton record his own interpretations of songs like “Crocodile Rock” and “Your Song” instead of lip-syncing to the original versions, as Rami Malek did as Freddie Mercury in 2018′s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“It was so important that the music I composed and recorded had to be sung by Taron,” Elton said. “Getting the music right was the most important thing, as the songs in the film are integral to the story.”
Like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Rocketman” has faced pre-release scrutiny as a film about a real-life queer icon starring an actor who identifies as straight.
Egerton shrugged off those concerns last week in an interview with Attitude, a British LGBTQ news outlet.
“I would not have played this character if: one, I wasn’t allowed to show Elton being a nightmare, because he has been; two, if we weren’t able to explore his drink-and-drug addiction because I don’t think you can tell a story without it; and three, if I didn’t think we could make a film that the gay community would watch and feel a sense of ownership over,”he said. “What right do I have to play Elton John if I am not going to go the same lengths to portray a gay relationship as a gay actor would?”
“Rocketman,” starring Egerton as Elton John and due out May 31.
