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Elton John Wants Justin Timberlake to Play Him in 'Rocketman' Biopic

by Ethan Anderton
January 3, 2012
Source: LA Times

Last September we got word that iconic chart-topping musician Elton John was looking to team up with screenwriter and playwright Lee Hall for Rocketman, a project described as a biographical musical fantasy about the flamboyantly bespectacled singer and songwriter. The two last teamed up for a Broadway adaptation of the film Billy Elliot, and now John says an official announcement regarding this fantastical biopic should be expected very soon. While it's not clear if that announcement will simply be officially revealing the project itself, John already has an idea of who should bring himself to life on the big screen.

Speaking with The LA Times (via THR), John says, "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.” For a taste of that surprisingly fantastic casting, which actually happened a few years before Timberlake's acting career took off, watch the music video for This Train Don't Stop There Anymore in its entirety right here:

Timberlake certainly looks like John, at the very least, and while his most powerful bit of acting has been in a supporting role in The Social Network, it helps that he's already got the singing chops to help bring the iconic musician to life. Previously it was said the new project includes a whole slew of John's biggest songs coupled with some ambitious choreographed sequences that will help tell the story of John's successes and struggles. John also says it might include some new songs as well. But who will be at the helm of this wacky-sounding biopic? Well, John said they tried to get Baz Luhrmann since the film has been said to have a Moulin Rouge sort of flare, but, "Baz is so busy. We can't announce it yet, but we have got someone on board that we're very excited about.” Stay tuned!

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