Disney+ Unveils Trailer for Elton John Documentary Amid Mixed Critical Reception
2 min read
Disney+ released the official trailer for its original documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late, which chronicles the life and career of this legendary artist at 50, deeply reflective of the rise to stardom, personal level struggles, and transformative family action.
It intercuts extremely rare concert footage with candid footage of Sir Elton reflecting on the highs, struggles with adversity, abuse, and addiction that have seen him through his career. Emotionally packed, this documentary follows his early days into music and takes viewers even deeper into the experiences molding the icon he is today.
From Disney Branded Television and produced in association with Rocket Entertainment and This Machine Filmworks, the documentary is directed by R.J. Cutler and by Sir Elton’s husband, David Furnish. Cutler and Furnish are also producers with Trevor Smith while executive producers are Elise Pearlstein, Mark Blatty, Luke Lloyd Davies, Rachael Paley, Jane Cha Cutler and John Battsek.
It is set to premiere on Disney+ on December 13, 2024.
The Farewell Tour: A Look Back at Elton John
The movie jitters backward and forward between the highs and lows of dizzying heights that get crushed as Sir Elton reflects on the last North American performance in Dodger Stadium during the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, 2018-2023. Of course, because of the pandemic, the tour was extended into what indeed felt like forever, but in all aspects, this documentary feels like a full-circle look back at Sir Elton’s career.
It will also try to point out wider changes in societal attitudes, such as those regarding homosexuality. Sir Elton made his bisexuality public in a 1976 interview with Rolling Stone, and he lets the audience in on how that openness affected his career back then. He is among the millions of LGBTQ+ people who enjoy the right to marry, have, and raise their families through positive attitude changes in society.
The documentary is not shy about showing his battle with drug addiction and just how it influenced his songwriting during his heyday.
Mixed Critical Reception
Elton John: Never Too Late has its premiere at the London Film Festival with unanimous reactions ranging from indifference to accolades. Where it was “the satisfying documentary the original King of Pop deserves” for Variety, to The Guardian’s “a thin portrait of a musical genius.” It’s a movie interspersing tour footage with the archival material relating to the Sir Elton’s popularity, particularly back in the 1970’s. The London premiere held at the Royal Festival Hall was attended by Sir Elton and David Furnish amongst other celebrities. The feature traces the events that followed 2019’s Rocketman, in which he played the titular musician.
Watch the trailer
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