English actor Tom Hardy will play
singer Sir Elton John in the upcoming biopic Rocketman.
According to Entertainment
Weekly, the 36-year-old Hardy, who is best known for playing
Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and Shinzon in Star Trek:
Nemesis, will take up the role as production begins in the fall
of 2014.
Rocketman will follow John from
childhood to his meteoric rise to fame in the sixties. The film is
written by Academy Award nominee Lee Hall (War Horse) and will
be released in the United States by Focus Features.
“Tom is quickly becoming known as one
of the world's most versatile actors, and like others at the top of
their craft, he has proven his ability to transform himself
completely into the character or subject found in the material,”
Focus Features CEO Peter Schlessel told The
Wrap.
“We are confident that Tom will
embody the physicality and spirit of Sir Elton,” he added.