11 Upcoming Movies That Have Ignored Massive Mistakes

4. Making A Subject-Approved Biopic - Rocketman

The Mistake

As visually intriguing as this upcoming Taron Egerton-starring Elton John biopic Rocketman looks, it's always sensible to be sceptical of movies which have had the approval of their subject - especially if they're still alive.

Though Egerton has referred to the movie as a "fantasy musical" rather than a straight biopic, it's still safe to say that John having the sign-off will likely prevent the film from having the necessary critical distance to provide a true representation of the man, warts and all.

That's not to say that Rocketman will turn out terrible, but it could end up falling far short of the mark by getting into bed with the pop icon being depicted.

In the complicated world of "life rights" and depicting a famous figure on-screen without being sued into oblivion, it's usually the path of least resistance, if one crucially lacking total integrity.

The Lesson

Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is the obvious touchstone here, which received full co-operation from both Queen and Freddie Mercury's estate (and was co-directed by Dexter Fletcher, who is also helming Rocketman).

The result was a rather sanitised production which shied away from providing a truly introspective look at Mercury's life, particularly in relation to his sexuality and his death from AIDS-related pneumonia.

Naturally it didn't doom the movie in any tangible sense - despite mixed reviews, the biopic was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars and went on to win four awards (including Best Actor), while scooping almost $900 million worldwide.

But in purely cinematic terms, it felt too soft-edged and too meticulously preened to truly immerse audiences in the man's life and times.