Get ready to don your sequined jackets and platform shoes because Elton John is back in the spotlight! As if his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour didn’t already leave us teary-eyed and nostalgic, the legendary Rocket Man is gearing up to hit us right in the feels again. Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival 2024, “Elton John: Never Too Late” promises to be a technicolor dreamcoat of a documentary, celebrating the swan song of one of music’s most flamboyant icons.
In case you missed it (where have you been?!), Elton’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour wasn’t just any tour—it was a spectacle. Kicking off in 2018 and wrapping up in Stockholm last July, it raked in a cool $900 million, officially making it the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Yes, you read that right. Move over, inflation, Elton's got the real numbers game.
This isn’t just another run-of-the-mill concert doc. “Never Too Late” peels back the curtain to reveal the man behind the glitter. Expect never-before-seen concert footage spanning five decades (cue the gasps), intimate glimpses into his handwritten journals, and current-day snippets of Elton with his family. Directed by R.J. Cutler and David Furnish, this film promises to be as heartfelt as it is dazzling.
Adding to the magic, the film showcases footage from Elton’s grand finale in the U.S. at the iconic Dodger Stadium. This wasn’t just any concert; it was a Disney+ livestream extravaganza, now available for your streaming pleasure as "Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium."
Elton may be saying goodbye to touring, but he’s far from retiring. His longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin recently spilled the glitter beans that Elton’s 32nd studio album is “all done and recorded.” Described as “quite contemporary,” this new album is set to surprise and delight fans when it drops. And if that’s not enough, a book penned by Elton himself, chronicling his farewell tour, is set to hit the shelves in September. Just in time for some cozy fall reading.
As if the documentary and new music weren’t enough to keep fans buzzing, Elton's last performance in Stockholm had him expressing heartfelt gratitude to his fans. “Fifty years of pure joy playing music… how lucky am I?” he mused. Indeed, how lucky are we to have witnessed such a storied career.
So, grab your popcorn and tissues, because “Elton John: Never Too Late” is set to be the glittering goodbye we didn’t know we needed. As Elton himself might say, the show’s not over till the last piano chord rings out. And even then, the legend lives on.
Photo: GREG ALLEN, ASSOCIATED PRESS, STAR TRIBUNE
