“Rocketman,” the upcoming Elton John biopic, has grabbed British actor Tom Hardy for the role of the eccentric performer, Deadline reports.
Hardy, 36, famously portrayed supervillain Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises,” along with roles in “Inception” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and more.
In a press release, Rocket Pictures CEO Steve Hamilton Shaw called Hardy “a stellar talent who will add extraordinary depth and nuance in bringing Elton’s story to life.”
The announcement of Hardy’s role in the film comes following rumors that Justin Timberlake could be cast as Captain Fantastic in the Michael Gracey-directed film. After all, John himself told the Los Angeles Times that the singer-turned-actor-turned-singer was his first choice, especially considering Timberlake portrayed Sir Elton in the music video for 2001’s “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore.”
Don’t hold your breath on a release anytime soon; shooting is currently scheduled to begin in fall 2014. In the meantime, check out Elton John’s most recent album, “The Diving Board,” which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 last month with sales of 47,000 in its first week.