Another Elton John film featuring ‘never-before-seen footage’ with John Lennon is in the works and could be on Netflix soon
New Elton John documentary ’The Pillars of Hercules’ has reportedly almost finished filming. (Carlo Allegri/Getty)
A documentary follow-up to the Elton John biopic Rocketman is in the works, with Netflix reportedly in talks to release the film.
The new Elton John film will be called The Pillars of Hercules, after the star’s middle name, and will reportedly feature “stories within the Elton John Band which weren’t shown in the Rocketman biopic”.
It will focus on the events of the ’70s, including never-seen-before footage of Elton with John Lennon, according to The Sun.
Davey Johnstone, previously a guitarist for the singer, has been working on the film for years and says he has the “seal of approval” from Elton John and his husband David Furnish.
In a recent interview with the Greatest Music Of All Time podcast, Johnstone added: “Quite honestly I would never do anything, especially of a documentary nature, about anything we did without them [Elton John and David Furnish] being OK with it.
“So with this documentary we are in the throes right now of putting together all the last things we need.
“There are two more interviews we are looking to get and we will probably be finished with all the recording by late January and then we will go into editing and we will be ready about Easter.”
Johnstone has been working on the new documentary for years, but delayed seeking a distributor so it didn’t clash with Rocketman or Elton’s farewell tour.
He said: “It was entirely right that I should do that as I did not want to get in the way of those projects. If it is too diluted then nothing does well.”
Elton John was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” from Rocketman. However, the film was snubbed in all other categories.
The name of the new film is a nod to both Elton’s middle name, which he legally changed to Hercules when he changed his name from Reginald Kenneth Dwight, and his 1972 song of the same name.
