The sex scene that seems likely to land Elton John biopic Rocketman an R-rating is “electric” and has a powerful artistic intention, said star Taron Egerton.

Last month it was reported that Paramount Studios had asked director Dexter Fletcher to remove the scene, which shows John’s first sexual encounter with manager and soon-to-be-lover John Reid, played by Richard Madden. It was said to include “the F-word several times” and “brief rear nudity, and someone snorting cocaine.” Fletcher responded that there had been no such intervention, and the movie would be “the no holds barred, musical fantasy” that everyone involved “passionately support and believe in.”

“In the script, this is the scene of Elton losing his virginity and we wanted to try to do that justice,” Egerton told Attitude. “They were falling in love and it’s beautiful because it should be. We didn’t want to play like they were a couple who were eventually going to fall apart. We wanted to play it like two guys in their early twenties who are falling in love and who are incredibly sexually attracted to each other.”

He continued: “The rawness of that experience, the fear of that experience, but also the joy of the experience of Elton’s first kiss ... it’s electric, it’s exciting, your stomach is doing somersaults. I treat it with the same love, care and affection I would as if it was my first experience of falling for somebody.”

Rocketman is set for release on May 31. In 2012, John called it "a surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a Moulin Rouge! ... I just don't want it to be a normal biopic because my life hasn't been like that."

 

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