Taron Egerton Playing Elton John In 'Rocketman', And Other Biopic News
Rocketman, a long-in-the-works biopic about superstar musician Elton John, has finally found its star: Taron Egerton, who worked with John in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Read more about this below, along with news about a few other biopics brewing in Hollywood, including Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong movie, a film about Shia LaBeouf's childhood, and more.
Rocketman – Elton John
First up, Deadline reports that Taron Egerton will portray Elton John in Rocketman, which will be directed by Dexter Fletcher (who directed Egerton in another biopic, Eddie the Eagle). Egerton will sing John's songs himself for the movie, and "sources said that everyone who has heard him has been gobsmacked by the quality of his voice." That's not surprising, considering Egerton lent his voice to the animated feature Sing, and the guy loves singing at every opportunity he gets. (He sang the lead on a song for the Eddie the Eagle soundtrack with co-star Hugh Jackman providing backup vocals.)
Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road) was once lined up to play Elton John in this movie when it was with Focus Features, but now Paramount is putting together a package to finance and distribute it with this new assortment of talent.
First Man – Neil Armstrong
The Boston Globe (via IndieWire) has an interview with Spotlight writer Josh Singer, who's writing the new Neil Armstrong biopic First Man for La La Land director Damien Chazelle. Singer gave a brief update about the new project, which stars Ryan Gosling as Armstrong:
"This is 100 percent a mission movie. It's about going to the moon as seen through the eyes of the guy who got there," Singer said. "We have at least five major set pieces that are action, and if your heart rate doesn't go through the roof, if you're not gripping the edge of your seat the entire times, I'll be shocked."
You can read more in the full interview.
On the Basis of Sex – Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg is getting the biopic treatment as well, with Felicity Jones (Rogue One) stepping into her shoes in filmmaker Mimi Leder's On the Basis of Sex, a film that chronicles Ginsburg as she fights for equal rights through her entire law career from Harvard University, to Columbia Law School, and finally, the Supreme Court.
THR caught up with actor Stephen Root, who appears in the film, and he says that the real Ginsberg, 85, recently shot a cameo appearance in the new movie. "She had the two biggest bodyguards I have ever seen," he said. "They were like 6-foot-8, and there she was in between them."
Honey Boy – Shia LaBeouf
And finally, THR also reports that Noah Jupe, who young actor who can currently be seen playing John Krasinski and Emily Blunt's son in A Quiet Place, will play a young Shia LaBeouf in Honey Boy, a film about LaBeouf's childhood. Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea) has already been cast to play an Even Stevens-era version of LaBeouf, and Jupe will reportedly play an even younger version of the actor. LaBeouf himself will be playing a version of his own father (naturally), and the movie is described like this:
"A child actor and his law-breaking, alcohol-abusing father attempt to mend their contentious relationship over the course of a decade."