An official Elton John documentary is in development.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend will be centred around the Rocket Man singer’s current farewell tour while also looking back at the first five years of Elton’s career between 1970 and 1975.
In addition, the documentary film will feature unseen concert clips from over the past 50 years, as well as exclusive new interviews, handwritten journal entries, and present-day footage of Elton and his family.
According to Deadline, the project will be “the definitive portrait” and “official feature” about the music legend. It will be directed and produced by R.J. Cutler, who made the 2021 documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, and Elton’s husband David Furnish.
“What a thrill and an honour it is that David Furnish and I get to create this intimate and unique look at one of the world’s most celebrated artists,” Cutler said in a statement. “As it has for so many others, Elton John’s music has had deep meaning for me for decades, and this opportunity is nothing short of a career highlight and privilege.”
“Elton and I could not think of a better collaborator than R.J. Cutler for a film that represents more than just Elton’s career – it’s his life,” Furnish added. “From the Troubadour to Dodger Stadium, we knew that R.J. would help guide Elton’s story and its many layers in a way that feels authentic and evocative. We’re ecstatic to be working together.”
Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ have won the rights to the documentary, which will debut at film festivals and have a limited cinema run before streaming on Disney+.
The project comes after the 2019 movie biopic Rocketman, in which Taron Egerton portrayed Elton.
The 75-year-old’s last-ever North American tour will conclude with a three-night run at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in November and these will be recorded for the documentary. The farewell tour concludes in Europe in July 2023.
