Paramount want to censor Elton John gay scene in 'Rocketman'

Paramount Studios reportedly want director Dexter Fletcher to cut a forty second gay scene from Rocketman, which depicts Taron Egerton’s Elton John and Richard Madden’s John Reid naked in bed together, so that the biopic can be rated a 12A in the UK and a PG 13 in the US.

The Daily Mail have alleged that Fletcher and producer Matthew Vaughn are currently in a stand-off with the Hollywood behemoth over the sequence.

The scene in question, which the publication insists has been “tastefully done,” sees Elton John and his lover/manager John Reid naked in bed together with their “derrieres [on] display.” Paramount believe that this will be enough for Rocketman to receive a higher rating, which will hurt its box office expectations.

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Fletcher and Vaughan are both reportedly adamant that the scene should be included, while Elton John is likely to be on their side, too, as he told the filmmakers ahead of the biopic, “Tell it all. Go as R-rated as you need to.”

Paramount are probably looking to sanitize Rocketman after the huge success of Bohemian Rhapsody. The Queen biopic not only won four Oscars, including a Best Actor gong for Rami Malek for his depiction of Freddie Mercury, but it has grossed over $879 million across the world, too.

This is despite being roundly admonished by critics. Not only was it attacked for being a rather run-of-the-mill biopic, but it was also accused of straightwashing large parts of Mercury’s life. Dexter Fletcher is already well versed in these disputes, having directed the final few days of Bohemian Rhapsody after the original director Bryan Singer was fired.

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Since Fletcher has been involved with Rocketman from pre-production he will almost certainly be much more forceful with his objections and intentions for the biopic this time around.

But considering just how much money talks in Hollywood, it sounds like he will have a battle on his hands to convince Paramount to include the sex scene.

Rocketman, which also stars Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin and Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton’s mother, will be released in the UK on May 24.