'I in no way condone this decision': Taron Egerton on the Russian cut of 'Rocketman'

Rocketman, Dexter Fletcher’s take on the life of Elton John, has been wowing the critics since it opened. But cinemagoers in Russia won’t get the chance to see the director’s complete vision due to a different cut being shown there – and the film’s star, Taron Egerton, is “disappointed” and “crestfallen” by the news.

He took to his Instagram yesterday to share his feelings on the matter, revealing he only heard “second hand” about the changes.

In his post, he wrote: “I am crestfallen that the decision was made to censor our movie for the Russian market. I’m even more disappointed to hear about it second hand today on the day of our domestic release.”

He continued, “I in no way condone this decision and feel disappointed I wasn’t made aware and given the chance to fight this move. Love is love. No compromises.” followed by the rainbow emoji.

So, it sounds like Egerton isn’t just angry at the Russian authorities that made the cut, but also at someone closer to home for not making him aware of the situation.

Read more: Taron Egerton Calls ‘Rocketman’ Sex Scene Controversy ‘Nonsense’

Elton John and the film’s makers also released a joint statement about the turn of events, stating that they rejected “in the strongest possible terms the decision to censor Rocketman for the Russian market, a move we were unaware of until today.”

The cut has apparently been made not by Paramount, who Elton John has called “brave and bold partners” but a local distributor in the country.

It appears that around five minutes of footage have been cut from the film being screening in Russia. In a joint statement, John added that denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in.”