This May, the next chapter in a recent string of high profile musical films arrives in the form of Rocketman. The film stars Taron Egerton as Elton John in a fantasy musical that chronicles the life of the international superstar. Speaking about the film recently, Taron Egerton highlighted one scene in particular that really moves him to watch: the sequence at Dodger Stadium, as he explained:
We are phenomenally proud of it. It feels weird for me to say it, and narcissistic but it moves me when I watch it.
Taron Egerton was almost bashful when he spoke about the Dodger Stadium scene to AMC Theatres. He seemed like he really wanted to talk about the sequence because he was so proud and excited about it. But he also didn’t want to be boastful or spoilery. Fully aware of how it might come off though, Egerton couldn’t help but admit that the scene at Dodger Stadium genuinely moved him.
As has been glimpsed in the trailers, one of the scenes in Rocketman shows Taron Egerton’s Elton John playing Dodger Stadium. In 1975, Elton John played two sold-out shows on back to back nights in Dodger Stadium to over 100,000 fans combined. Elton John was the first musical act to perform in the stadium since The Beatles in 1966 and these massive and historic concerts were career defining for the man born Reginald Dwight.
Taron Egerton is actually doing all of the singing as Elton John himself in Rocketman, so that must have made him especially proud of his work in the film and in this huge scene. Given the magnitude of the concert being replicated, this enthusiasm and pride is exactly what you want to hear from Taron Egerton about the Dodger Stadium scene in the movie. We want to be sitting in the audience of a theater and be moved and blown away by the spectacle, the music and the performances on display.
It’s impossible to hear Taron Egerton pump up the Dodger Stadium sequence in Rocketman and not draw comparisons to Bohemian Rhapsody and its Live Aid sequence. That film, which Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher came on to finish (although the final sequence was directed by Bryan Singer), built towards the climax of the 1985 Live Aid concert. That concert was the centerpiece of the film and even some of those that didn’t like Bohemian Rhapsody overall still found a lot to love in the thrilling concert that closed the show.
Hearing how Taron Egerton feels about the Dodger Stadium sequence in Rocketman, it’s easy to get hyped to see what he and Dexter Fletcher have put together. And unlike Bohemian Rhapsody, which some criticized for glossing over certain elements of Freddie Mercury's life, Rocketman is said to not be holding anything back. Perhaps it will capture the brilliance of the Live Aid scene while adding a little more substance in other areas.
Rocketman opens in theaters on May 31. That’s only one of the exciting movies too look forward to in the coming months, check out the rest in our 2019 release schedule.
