Elton John biopic 'Rocketman' is gonna make so much money

Bohemian Rhapsody was so 2018. 2019 will be the year of Rocketman.

The Elton John biopic shared about seven minutes of footage at Paramount's CinemaCon presentation Thursday, and while this reporter is on the fence about whether or not it looks good, I feel fairly confident saying it's going to make a ton of money.

The extended first look follows Reginald Dwight from his very early years as a shy kid with a natural talent for classical piano, to his young adult years as an unstoppable creative force, to a troubled middle age in which he seems to have lost sight of who he really is. (Taron Egerton plays John in adulthood.)

We get to see him meet songwriter Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) and manager John Reid (Richard Madden), change his name to Elton John (according to this movie, he happens upon the surname when he happens to spot a photo of the Beatles), play the Troubadour and Dodger Stadium, and so on.

In between, there are what look like full-on musical numbers, like one for "Saturday Night's Alright," set at a carnival, and lovely moments of magical realism, like a shot of someone playing piano at the bottom of a very deep pool. The familiar music alone should be enough to get butts in seats.

These dreamy touches also help set Rocketman apart from Bohemian Rhapsody, which it otherwise seems to follow beat for beat, down to the obligatory scene of a foolish record executive who just can't seem to understand that what his oddball artist has brought him is actually the next great masterpiece.

That the films might share some similarities isn't terribly surprising, given that Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher also helped steer Bohemian Rhapsody after Bryan Singer's exit. But it also speaks to how paint-by-numbers Bohemian Rhapsody felt. Hopefully, Rocketman has a little more fun coloring outside the lines.

The other key draw here is Egerton, who seems to capture John's crackling energy while layering his performance with doubt, arrogance, and determination. He also does his own singing as John, and in the bits we saw, fared impressively well. Hey, we know John's already a fan.