Taron Egerton nails Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’ in new ‘Rocketman’ teaser – WATCH
The 29-year-old actor's cover versions have garnered high praise from Elton himself.
By Will Stroude
As Bohemian Rhapsody continues to sweep the board during awards season (despite some very valid criticism of its handling of LGBT themes), we’re already getting excited about the next big queer musical retrospective.
Elton John biopic Rocketman is just over three months away from release, and to get us in the mood for a good ole’ sing-a-long producers have given us our first proper look at lead actor Taron Egerton tackling one of the musical icon’s biggest hits/
A new teaser released on Monday (18 February) combines previously unseen clips from the film with footage of 29-year-old Taron in the studio recording a cover of Elton’s 1971 classic ‘Tiny Dancer’, and we gotta say, the vocal resemblance is uncanny.
“Taron’s actually singing in the film, and he’s so convincing and his voice is incredible,” says director Dexter Fletcher in the clip.
Fletcher, who took over at the helm of Bohemian Rhapsody following the sacking of Bryan Singer in 2017 and previpously worked with Egerton on 2016’s Eddie the Eagle, adds: “Taron is an actor of increbiel range.”
Music producer Giles Martin also reveals in the teaser that Elton himself gave Taron’s covers his own grand seal of approval.
Elton said ‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone sing my songs better than Taron’,” Martin reveals. “And the great thing about Elton is that he wants Taron’s interpretations of his songs.”
He adds: “I don’t think there’s anybody else in the world who could play Elton – it’s Taron’s role.”
Dubbed as a ‘true fiction’, the Rocketman will chart Elton’s early life and career from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
Written by Lee Hall, the man behind Billy Elliot the Musical and the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice starring Keira Knightley, the film co-stars Jamie Bell, Gemma Jones, Bryce Dallas Howard and Bodyguard’s Richard Madden, who Egerton previously hinted he would be involved in a steamy sex with.
“I really threw myself into it, I filmed my first sex scene for this film and it’s with quite a well-known man,” the Welsh star said last year.
“I do feel the movie we shot is absolutely a celebration of everything that Elton John is and part of that is his sexuality.”
Egerton, who recently addressed rumours surrounding his own sexuality, continued: “I actually think the gay community will be quite surprised by quite how gay it feels. I loved every second if it.
“I’m not someone who is remotely perturbed by male intimacy and I am quite proud of what we’ve done with it. We really went some places with it.”
Rocketman is set for release in May. Check out the trailer below: