Paramount Might Remove Homosexual and Nudity Scenes From Elton John Biopic Rocketman

Paramount

Paramount Pictures isn't too crazy about the homosexual content and nudity in the Elton John musical fantasy biopic Rocketman starring Taron Egerton.

The executives reportedly want to remove a 40-second scene where Egerton's Elton shares what was described as a "nude cuddle" with his manager John Reid played by Richard Madden.

The report comes from Baz Bamigboye of Daily Mail, who shared the news on Twitter. The filmmakers are reportedly fighting to keep it in the movie.

It is unclear how these "heated discussions" will end up doing for Rocketman. Either way, it is being said that Paramount's decision was made purely from a business standpoint. The studio apparently sees no reason to add such scene especially since Bohemian Rhapsody, the Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury biopic, didn't have to explore similar elements in the life of the Queen frontman to succeed. It appears that the Queen movie set the standards for success for musical biopics.

While many thought the Rami Malek movie played it safe, but this didn't stop the film from enjoying success critically and financially. It went on to win four Academy Awards and raked in $879 million in international gross.

Paramount apparently wants Rocketman to cater to a wider group of audience. This is the advantage that allowed Bohemian Rhapsody to enjoy almost $1 billion at the box office. Adding the adult scene definitely won't get the film a PG-13 rating, and in turn, could hurt its blockbuster performance.

If the said scene will be cut from the Elton John biopic, it will definitely be a disappointment to those who were hoping to see in the film what they think they should have gotten in Bohemian Rhapsody.

After all, the marketing and promotion that have been made about it so far promise to include the content that the studio now wants gone.

Directed by David Fletcher, Rocketman hits the big screen May 31.

Also Read: Kingsman's Taron Egerton is Elton John in Trailer for Rocketman