Fandango schedules Rocketman screenings two weeks prior to the wide release date. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, the biographical musical drama stars Taron Egerton as the iconic English musician Elton John.

Titled after John’s 1972 hit song of the same name, Rocketman explores his personal and professional ascent during the ‘70s. Like the 2018 music drama Bohemian Rhapsody - a film about Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury - Rocketman addresses behind-the-scenes struggles, along with the subject’s pop culture influence. The aforementioned Fletcher replaced Bryan Singer as director for Bohemian Rhapsody, this coming after the latter was fired for questionable behavior and clashes with star Rami Malek. For Rocketman, Fletcher enlisted Jamie Bell to portray John’s long-time partner Bernie Taupin, and Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden was cast as John’s manager John Reid. Last March, reports surfaced that Paramount reportedly asked for a nude scene to be cut, however Fletcher quickly debunked the rumors. 

Fandango has scheduled early preview screenings for Rocketman. On May 18, almost two weeks ahead of the film’s May 31 wide release date, Fandango VIP members will have a chance to see the highly anticipated film, one that’s been in the works for multiple years. John himself is one of Rocketman’s co-producers, and he announced the film’s development way back in 2012. Justin Timberlake was reportedly John’s first choice to star, and Tom Hardy was briefly confirmed for the project in 2013. Rumors surfaced about Egerton’s Rocketman involvement in July 2017, and the actor later described the film as a “fantasy musical” upon being officially cast. Last September, Paramount released a first-look Rocketman photo of Egerton as John. As for Fandango, the company previously scheduled early screenings for both Shazam! and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Rocketman early screening tickets are now on sale for Fandango VIP members.

With Rocketman, Egerton will undoubtedly reach a new level of fame. Five years ago, the Welsh actor made his feature debut in Testament of Youth, a World War I story co-starring Alicia Vikander and Kit Harington. Since then, Egerton has starred in the Kingsman franchise, and also voiced the character Johnny in the 2016 Illumination box office hit Sing. Last year, Egerton played the title role in the action adventure film Robin Hood, which was co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Based on the Rocketman teaser trailer, along with a preview performance clip, the film seems destined to be a 2019 hit. Incidentally, Fandango VIP members are seemingly in for a treat on May 18. But whereas Bohemian Rhapsody was a financial success and won four Academy Awards, it wasn’t necessarily well-received by critics as a piece of filmmaking. Perhaps Rocketman has the chops, so to speak, to please both critics and general moviegoers alike. 

More: 2019 Summer Movie Preview - The 20 Films to See

Source: Fandango

  • Rocketman Release Date: 2019-05-31