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Elton John Biopic 'Rocketman' To Premiere At Cannes Film Festival

Elton John biopic Rocketman is set to premiere on May 16 at the Cannes Film Festival.

The biopic was directed by Dexter Fletcher, who previously took over the direction of Queen and Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody after director Bryan Singer was fired.

Taron Egerton stars as the British singer and pianist. Sir Elton John himself is a producer of Rocketman, which is said to be more of a musical-biopic hybrid.

The biopic, penned by Lee Hall, also stars Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard.

The film follows John's early days as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music up to his eventual musical partnership with Bernie Taupin. The film is titled after John's 1972 song "Rocket Man."

Rocketman is scheduled to be released in the U.K. on May 24 and in the U.S. on May 31 by Paramount Pictures.

The 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival runs May 14-25. Jim Jarmusch's zombie comedy The Dead Don't Die will open the festival.

(Photo: Paramount Pictures)

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Beyoncé Unexpectedly Releases Live Album Along With 'Homecoming' Documentary

Beyoncé unexpectedly released a live album of her Coachella performance along with the Netflix documentary Homecoming, which is also about her mic-dropping performance at last year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Homecoming, the album, features recordings of "Crazy In Love," "Freedom," "Formation," "Bow Down," "Drunk in Love," and "Lose My Breath" from her 2018 Coachella set.

The 40-track collection also features Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy's version of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," as well as bonus tracks "Before I Let Go" and "I Been On."

Meanwhile, Netflix' Homecoming concert documentary shows more intimate behind-the-scenes moments as the singer prepared for the show.

The film features footage from rehearsals and quieter backstage moments and "the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement," Netflix said.

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Elton John Calls Watching Himself Be Portrayed On Screen 'The Weirdest Thing'

In an exclusive piece by Interview magazine, music icon Elton John chatted with "Game of Thrones" actor Richard Madden, who stars as Elton's former manager and lover John Reid in the forthcoming biopic Rocketman.

"My life has been a crazy fantasy all the way through... I didn't want this film to be earnest because I am not earnest. I've done some f-ing raving, ridiculous things in my life, both good and bad" Elton said about the extent of the truth portrayed by the film.

Starring Taron Egerton, the film was directed by Dexter Fletcher and is set to hit U.S. theaters on May 31.

Elton said watching himself being portrayed on screen has been a uniquely strange experience.

"I have seen a bit of the trailer, and it's the weirdest thing seeing someone portray you," Elton said. "Taron is so eerily like me that it makes it even weirder."

He added, "I'm looking forward to seeing it, but it's hard enough to look at myself in the mirror. And then to see a film about me, it's like, 'Oh my God!'"

Madden spoke about the challenge of playing as complex a character as Reid, saying "There's lots about John Reid that's not very likeable. It was really fun to play with that and be a c--t sometimes."

Music News Service distributed by Triton Media Group. Copyright(c) 2019 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved