Bohemian Rhapsody new director ‘Rejection of more ADULT take was like a boot in the TEETH’

This year Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was a huge hit at the box office and won the most Oscars at the Academy Awards. However, the production was troubled, with director Bryan Singer being fired after going AWOL from the set. Dexter Fletcher was roped in to complete three weeks filming on the movie before he went on to shoot Elton John biopic Rocketman. Now in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he’s revealed how when he was the original choice to direct Bohemian Rhapsody before Singer, he was pushing for an R-rated version of the movie.

When Fletcher pitched his idea for how the film would go, he wanted it to be darker and more adult.

He said: “I was like, ‘It’s got to be R[-rated]. It’s got to have f***ing angst and be about an immigrant, a gay man, all the outsider values.’”

But when Fox changed their mind a week before preproduction and wanted a PG-13/12A rating, they went with Singer as director instead.

Fletcher added: “It felt like a real boot in the teeth. It was like, ‘The money’s not there. We’re not doing it.’”

The synopsis reads: “Based on a true fantasy, ROCKETMAN is an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John’s breakthrough years. The film follows the fantastical journey of transformation from shy piano prodigy Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John.

“This inspirational story – set to Elton John’s most beloved songs and performed by star Taron Egerton – tells the universally relatable story of how a small-town boy became one of the most iconic figures in pop culture.

“Rocketman also stars Jamie Bell as Elton’s longtime lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden as Elton’s first manager, John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton’s mother Sheila Farebrother.’

Rocketman is released in UK cinemas on May 24, 2019.