Whatever one says about Elton John, it is difficult to argue that he is a man encumbered by either modesty or shyness. The very fact that the boy born Reginald Kenneth Dwight re-christened himself Elton Hercules John is enough to indicate a character that holds himself in a certain level of esteem. It can, therefore, be of little surprise, that John considers himself- and his life- to be worthy of the silver screen. Far from merely believing his life to be film-worthy, however, it appears the new father has already taken steps to see this become a reality and made the following statement when talking to BBC Radio this month:
"I'd just like to make a really great film about my life story. We have a great script already by Lee Hall who wrote Billy Elliot... Obviously it's not going to be your normal, run-of-the-mill film because my life has kind of been crazy. And I think it's important to do a kind of surrealistic take on my life, from buying a football club to God knows what."
Lee Hall is currently basking in the glow of the adulation garnered by his screen adaptation of Toast and has had his screenplay for Hippie, Hippie, Shake produced, but has yet to achieve an official release despite completing filming some time ago. The fact that John has seen the screenplay and approves so roundly suggests it runs the risk of being something of a fawning and uncritical piece- especially given the notoriously prickly nature of the star in question. Nevertheless, the esteem in which Hall is held, and the obvious interest that will exist in a musician who can claim to have sold 300 million records over four decades will probably mean that this is one script that will not be on the shelf too long.