A new trailer for “Rocketman,” the Elton John “fantasy musical” in theaters May 31, was released today. As the singer, actor Taron Egerton (“Eddie the Eagle”) performs “Tiny Dancer” and is seen honing his talent at home, rising to fame and grappling with the pitfalls that superstardom can bring. The film also stars Jamie Bell (as John’s longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin), Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard; English actor Dexter Fletcher, who also worked with Egerton on “Eddie the Eagle,” directs.
While recent years have seen a bounty of music-related biopics, Egerton stresses that’s not what “Rocketman” is. “Everyone thinks it’s a biopic. It isn’t. It’s a fantasy musical,” he told Collider last May. “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.” Indeed, a couple of the moments in the new trailer show musical-style moments and routines.
Much like Bradley Cooper’s famous insistence that all vocal performances in “A Star Is Born” be performed live, Egerton told Collider, “I will always be singing on set. No miming. I’m just not interested in doing it that way.”
Egerton will also appear as the title character in the upcoming Otto Bathurst film “Robin Hood” alongside Jamie Dornan and Jamie Foxx.
“Rocketman” hits theaters on May 31, 2019.