As a fan of Elton John, I think it’s fair to say that it’ll take an especially talented actor with strong musical abilities to take on the role of the musician in his biopic. If Elton John has his way, that person could be Justin Timberlake. The “Rocket Man” singer offered some updates on the project, including vague news on the status of the director and his hope for Timberlake to star.
News made its way around the internet last fall that Elton John was producing a musical biopic about himself, and that he’s re-teaming with Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall to make the movie. According to the Hollywood Reporter, John says singer/actor Justin Timberlake is at the top of his list to play him in the movie:
“No. 1 on my wish list is Justin Timberlake, because he played me before in a David LaChapelle video of ‘Rocket Man’ and was superb.”
According to John, the movie will feature “songs from his career and possibly a few new ones.” He also uses the word “surreal” when describing the film as it pertains to how his life story is told, as opposed to a factual account. It’s for that reason that Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge, Strictly Ballroom) would be a great choice for director, given his experience with musicals and his colorful style of filmmaking . Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like Luhrmann is an option.
Per the Reporter, John says they tried to get Baz Luhrmann but he’s too busy. On the subject of the director, he went on to say, “We can't announce it yet, but we have got someone on board that we're very excited about.”
It’ll be interesting to hear who they have on board to direct and whether Justin Timberlake comments on the project or gives any indication that he’s circling the role. Given his musical background and proven acting abilities, this could be a great part for him to take on. In the meantime, from what John says, they're still working on the script, "and then we'll start trying to cast and plan."
