Director/Producer Matthew Vaughn has brought us some truly wild and energetic movies thus far, from LAYER CAKE to STARDUST to the KICK-ASS films to X-MEN: FIRST CLASS to the KINGSMAN series, as well as producing films like EDDIE THE EAGLE. Now, the prolific filmmaker is tackling another genre; the fantasy musical, with this month's Elton John biopic ROCKETMAN. Directed by Dexter Fletcher (who stepped in to help last year's BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY), this is a big, bold, unflinching fantasy take on the legendary singer's life and Vaughn talks about why that appealed to him, what made Egertonthe right man for the gig, not holding back on portraying Elton John's sexuality, comparisons to BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY and what musical movie he'd like to see next. We also discuss where the KINGSMAN series is headed, as well as check up on the status of the FLASH GORDON reboot.
This [ROCKETMAN] script was in existence prior to your involvement, but nobody wanted to make the R-rated version that Elton John was pushing. What inspired you to push that through on take on this take on his story?
VAUGHN: Well, I read the script and I thought the script was brilliant and it was one-hundred percent correct; Elton John did not live a PG-13 life and therefore didn’t deserve a PG-13 movie. It would’ve been doing a disservice to him as a person and his desires.
You’ve done four films with Taron Egerton now; one of them that featured Elton John with Kingsman: The Golden Circle and Taron sang an Elton John song for the animated film Sing. Was it written in the stars that Taron would play Elton or did it take some convincing?
VAUGHN: For me, as soon as I read the script, I was like, this has to be with Taron [Egerton]. I heard him sing and was sort of dubious about Bohemian Rhapsody working, cause I knew Rami [Malek] was lip-synching and I just didn’t understand the idea of watching a movie with someone lip-synching to a 70s rock icon. But, was I wrong? Yes. So, I learned my lesson, the good thing about the movie business is you never really know anything. But, I did know that Taron would be brilliant. Him singing Elton I knew would blow Elton away, let alone anyone else.
Taron sings all of the songs in the film and plays Elton as more of his interpretation, rather than a straight imitation. What was the intent in those choices?
VAUGHN: Out logline was that this movie is based on a true fantasy. Meaning, the whole thing is an interpretation of the life of Elton John, his music, the facts and fiction all rolled into one and what’s so great about Elton. I mean, what is fact and what is fiction? Some people said, “It’s weird you made up him marrying a woman, why’d you do that?” And I said, “Well, actually that happened.” I didn’t develop the script. I was lucky enough to inherit it from them. But, they literally just made it this sort of wonderful Elton John fantastical musical, which I don’t think there’s a lot of people you can do a movie about in this style, so, God Bless Elton John.
Was there ever any pressure to do a straight biopic of this story?
VAUGHN: No, not at all. Elton led the life and Elton wrote the music and Elton and David gave us the script with the marching orders saying, “Nobody wants to make this version of his life and there’ll be no version of an Elton John life and music apart from this version.” So, somehow I was blessed enough to be given it and I got involved immediately.
Last year Bohemian Rhapsody made a killing at the box office, showing that there was most definitely a desire to see music biopics. It’s also no secret that Dexter Fletcher stepped in to finish that film. Did the success of that film and having Dexter onboard boost your confidence in making Rocketman?
VAUGHN: Well, no, we were already making it [Rocketman] when [Bohemian Rhapsody] came out, so what it did was sort of put this weird pressure on us that once we committed to making the movie we were in it and then suddenly when we started making the film and if someone said “Look, you could do $250 million worldwide” I would’ve bit their hand off, saying “Wow!”. Now, we do $500 million and everyone would go, “Yeah, big deal.
This wasn’t a film born out of trying to make money, this is a movie born out of a passion from everyone to make the right Elton John musical and this is what it is, so we’re very happy.
Rocketman doesn’t shy away from either Elton’s sexuality or his struggles with coming to terms with that and includes a sex scene between Taron and Richard Madden. Can you talk about that scene and breaking through the barriers to include it in the final film?
VAUGHN: It sort of reminds me a little bit of when I made Kick-Ass and everyone was like, “I can’t believe there’s a girl swearing and killing people!” and then they saw the movie and they said it actually wasn’t that big of a deal and it sort of fits when seen in context of the film.
This film, when we green lit it, we weren’t discussing the gay sex scene, we were just discussing the sex scene. And, it’s sort of a shame that it comes up all the time, because I think at the end of the day it’s just two guys together. It’s not graphic. I just feel it’s a moment in the movie with many other moments and bigger moments. I think people fixate on it out of context way too much. I mean, when you saw it were you thinking, “Jesus, this film is showing gay sex?
Actually, what I liked about it was that it felt natural…
VAUGHN: Exactly, it was meant to be.
To me, watching it, I took note because it’s not something you see all the time, but it felt normal, like “Oh, okay.
VAUGHN: We tested the movie somewhere in middle America, I can’t remember, I think it was Kansas City. The studio was a little bit nervous, saying, “People in L.A. and New York had no problem with it.” And, people in Kansas City didn’t have a problem with it, either. We scored exactly the same score there and I think the world’s changing and I think the taboo of gay sex is not as strong as it was when I was a kid for sure.
Yeah, same here. I think it’s noteworthy in that it’s not noteworthy…
VAUGHN: Exactly. We weren’t trying to make a big deal about it.
It’s interesting in comparison to Bohemian Rhapsody, which I think is just a very different film, where that was one of the chief complaints in that we didn’t really see the warts-and-all kind of aspect of Freddie Mercury’s life.
VAUGHN: Well, weirdly, Bryan [Singer] made the decision-I remember him saying to me that he wanted to make the non-gay version. He made the decision and it worked. And that’s the great thing about art. The whole point of art is you direct a movie or you paint a picture or record an album and you’ve been brave enough to do it and you made the decision and people either like it or don’t like it, but always say you’ve got to respect what that person went through and had the balls to go off and put their head above the parapet to be judged. And, I think sometimes some are way too quick to say something is terrible without thinking what went into that decision to be made.
With an obvious interest to the moviegoing public in musical biopics, which musician or band do you think would be cool to see next?
VAUGHN: I’d buy tickets tomorrow morning for the David Bowie musical.
Oh, man, dude can you just do that?
VAUGHN: I would love to, but I think the Bowie estate-I don’t know-Mr. Bowie had a very good son, a director son, so if anyone were to do it, I imagine it might be him.
So, you just wrapped the Kingsman prequel…
VAUGHN: I did indeed. I’m exhausted [laughs]
You’ve said that you intend to start shooting Kingsman 3 later this year or early next year. You’ve said that you intend to close up Eggsy and Harry’s story with this one. Does that mean the end of The Kingsman series or just the closing of a chapter?
VAUGHN: It would not necessarily close it, but finish off this chapter of it. I think that in the end of Kingsman: The Golden Circle Eggsy has gone off and married a princess and his life has definitely changed and Harry Hart is part of a Kingsman that’s blown to shit and this is where it all needs to come back to something.
So, the closing of a chapter, but not closing out the future of any other Kingsman movies…
VAUGHN: Yeah, never say never. It’s just that I think their relationship has to be resolved, which this will do. We’ve got some fun ideas for the ending, which opens up other avenues. But, I’ve got to get the prequel out and this and maybe by then the world is sick of Kingsman, but hopefully not. I mean, I think we’re laying the tracks for quite interesting developments. Some people might hate it, but both films are not what people are expecting. And, that’s what I’m trying to do, trying to surprise and probably disappoint some people, but hopefully exhilarate others.
My son actually did full Eggsy cosplay when he was eight…
VAUGHN: He must’ve been the best-dressed man on the street!
Oh, absolutely!
VAUGHN: That’s the thing. If I’ve managed to get kids to wear double-breasted suits then hallelujah!
There’s definitely a younger generation that’s still fired up about Kingsman…
VAUGHN: Well, you never know. I keep waiting for the day that I get found out that I’m just a guy playing, having a lot of fun making movies and someone’s gonna say, “No, you’ve got to get serious.” I’ll take it while I can.
You’re also onboard to produce a new Flash Gordon film with Julius Avery directing. What can people expect from that one?
VAUGHN: We’re just in that in-between stage of Disney buying Fox. It’s been quite a merger and we’re waiting for the dust to settle and I’ll have a lot more of an idea of what the future holds.
Well, Rocketman was great and I think folks will respond to it.
VAUGHN: The note I’m trying to get out there is if you’re a young kid and you’re thinking, “oh, another musical, not for me,” give it a shot from the man that has made Kingsman and Kick-Ass, I do think this is a musical that if you like those two films you’ll be surprised how much you could like this.
ROCKETMAN is now in theaters. Vaughn's next directorial effort, KINGSMAN: THE GREAT GAME is set for February 14, 2020.