Elton John Is a ‘Fat Boy from Nowhere’ in Rocketman Trailer

Days after seeing the first clip of actor Taron Egerton performing "Tiny Dancer" as Elton John, we've finally got the first official trailer for Rocketman, the biopic based on the legendary musician's life.

The trailer starts with Egerton's John plunking out the notes for what would become "Your Song" and meeting with his future lyricist, Bernie Taupin (played by Jamie Bell). His path to success, we learn, was filled roadblocks: his real name is Reginald Dwight (a bit too grandpa), he's a "fat boy from nowhere." But after becoming a soul pianist, he gets some rather good advice: "You gotta kill the person you were born to be in order to become the person you want to be."

The trailer follows John as he revamps his image ("Can you even play the piano in those boots?"), meets manager and eventual lover John Reid (Game of Thrones' Richard Madden), and skyrockets into fame. "So how does it feel to be a star," he's asked. "It's never gonna last," John responds.

When Taupin criticizes John's increasingly elaborate stage theatrics, John says that "people don't pay to see Reg Dwight, they pay to see Elton John."

Egerton recorded his own versions of John's classic hits for the film, and according to music producer Giles Martin, audiences won't be disappointed. "Elton said, 'I don't think I've heard anyone sing my songs better than Taron,'" said Martin, adding that John wanted the film's music to be an interpretation of his catalogue.

Rocketman is in theaters May 31.

RELATED | Watch Taron Egerton Perform 'Tiny Dancer' as Elton John