With the almost-$1 billion success of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” not only will audiences see an influx of rock star biopics, but there’s also going to be an emphasis to replicate what Fox did with its Freddie Mercury/Queen film. And part of that process means studios are going to be interested in taming a bit more of the “wild” parts of the rock star lifestyle. According to a new report, that’s exactly what’s happening behind-the-scenes on the upcoming “Rocketman.”
“Rocketman” tells the story of musical icon Elton John. Early buzz is that everything about the film is great, and is an improvement over what audiences experienced with “Bohemian Rhapsody.” However, in light of that latter film’s success, studio Paramount Pictures wants to make sure there is nothing standing in the way of the Elton John film earning hundreds of millions of dollars, including male butts.
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The Daily Mail is reporting that Paramount has asked “Rocketman” director Dexter Fletcher and producer Matthew Vaughn to cut a 40-second scene that shows stars Taron Egerton (as Elton John) and Richard Madden nude in bed, laying with each other, with their rears exposed. The “sex scene” is on the chopping block because Paramount wants to ensure a PG-13 rating for the film and apparently two male butts are what the studio fears could push the film over the edge into R-rating territory.
The report says that Fletcher, who is the man that was brought on to finish “Bohemian Rhapsody” after the dismissal of director Bryan Singer, and the other folks making the film are fighting to keep the brief scene in the film. This “clash” comes after the criticism of straight-washing in “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which infamously left a lot of Freddie Mercury’s love life off-screen, with the focus clearly on getting as many Queen songs in the film as humanly possible.
Obviously, we’ll find out shortly if the scene gets cut or not, as “Rocketman” is likely going to debut at May’s Cannes Film Festival and will hit theaters on May 31.