Elton John documentary recalls the highs and lows of his career | Music | Entertainment
Elton John is the focus of a new behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling his record-breaking 50-year career. Streaming later this year, Elton John: Never Too Late takes fans on an ‘uplifting full-circle journey’ through the singer-songwriter’s extraordinary career that has seen him become one of the most successful musicians of all time.
As per the official synopsis, the ‘emotionally charged’ and ‘intimate’ film follows Elton as he looks back on his life and the astonishing early days of his 50-year career. As he prepares for his final concert in North America at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, Elton takes viewers back in time and recounts the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of his early years and how he overcame adversity, abuse and addiction to become the icon he is today.
The film features iconic concert footage from Elton’s career and hears from the legendary musician as he speaks candidly about his extraordinary rise to success, the personal challenges he faced and how his family has changed him. It is also set to feature a brand-new original song.
Elton John: Never Too Late will debut with a limited theatrical run on November 15 before premiering December 13 on Disney+. Elton fans can join Disney+ for £4.99 a month, or save with the annual Standard plan for £79.90 before it increases on October 17.
Signing up for the annual plan before the deadline gives members 12 months for the price of 10 and locks in the cheaper rate for a year. For those looking for a bigger saving, a 12-month subscription to the Premium plan now costs £109.90 – saving £21.98 compared to paying monthly – and includes higher video quality up to 4K UHD and HDR, plus the ability to stream on four devices simultaneously.
Disney+ unveiled the trailer for Never Too Late on Monday (September 30), which sees Elton reflect on the early days of his career.
“At the time, there was an emptiness within me,” he says in the new footage. “My soul had gone dark, I’d gone dark. I wasn’t a joy to be around.”
The series also hears Elton open up about his struggles with success, his sexuality and drugs.
“I didn’t have anything apart from my success and my drugs. I felt there must be something more to life than this.”
The series is directed by R.J. Cutler – whose credits include Nashville and Belushi – and Elton’s husband David Furnish. It comes as the Rocket Man singer called time on his live career last year with a 330-date world tour that spanned five years.
The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour saw Elton headline 2023’s Glastonbury Festival before closing the tour with four dates in Europe, with his final performance taking place in Stockholm in July. Elton John: Never Too Late joins Disney’s expanding library of music documentaries that includes The Beatles: Get Back, The Beach Boys and upcoming Bruce Springsteen film, Road Diary.
Elsewhere, Amazon’s Prime Video is the home of a raft of documentaries like I Am: Celine Dion, Federer: Twelve Final Days and Amy Winehouse: The Price of Fame, all of which can be streamed free with an Amazon Prime subscription or 30-day free trial.
