The Biggest Challenge In Adapting Stephen King Books, According To IT And 'Salem's Lot Writer

The Biggest Challenge In Adapting Stephen King Books, According To IT And 'Salem's Lot Writer

Stephen King is the king of horror on the page, but Gary Dauberman is ruling the horror world on screen. He's a longtime writer for The Conjuring Universe, and he's making his directorial debut with Annabelle Comes Home, which he also wrote. Dauberman was one of the writers adapting Uncle Stevie's novel IT for the big screen in 2017, and that film was a massive hit. He's back as the lone credited screenwriter for IT: Chapter 2, which comes out this September. Dauberman was also recently announced to be writing the script for the new screen adaptation of King's book 'Salem's Lot.

CinemaBlend's own Nick Venable talked to Gary Dauberman about his many projects, including his new Swamp Thing series, and of course asked him about adapting Stephen King's books. What are the biggest challenges in that daunting process? Here's Dauberman response:

There's a lot of challenging things, but it really is an editing process of like...you know you're not going to get all the fucking great scenes in there. You know, they always say you have to kill your darlings. But it's like, [they're] not. They are my darlings, but I'm such a fan of the books and the scenes, and so it's a challenge to sort of decide, 'Okay, well I really like this, but I love that. Is there a way to get the two ideas in there and maybe put it somewhere else?' It's one of those things where I tried to preserve as much as I can of the book, in the spirit of the book, and why it works.

Stephen King's IT is quite a tome, but it is one book. Gary Dauberman, director Andres Muschietti, and company decided to split that into two films for the respective youth and adult timelines. That might've been a relatively easy decision, but there were harder editing calls to make. The first film took out one of Uncle Stevie's most controversial scenes from his book. However, the second film is including a different controversial scene that was cut from the previous TV miniseries.

When it comes to 'Salem's Lot, that's a book that Stephen King previously called one of his favorites. But just because King did something his way doesn't mean it translates well to the screen for viewers. Plus, the guy is notoriously iffy on book endings, and that can make a screenwriter's job interesting. Gary Dauberman continued on the challenges of adapting King's tomes:

I mean, there's books out there that have great concepts, but they're not executed so well. So you're like, 'Well, I like the concept, but I'll kind of just run with it.' Or it's got a good first half, but the second half is not great, so you can depart from it. But these are not those, right? They work so well. There's a reason they've been around as long as they have been. So you're just working very hard to preserve as much as you can of it and give it the respect it deserves.

There's a lot of pressure on Gary Dauberman to do justice to Stephen King's novels, and that seems to be his first priority. He's a fan himself. King is usually pretty candid about when he likes an adaptation (Pet Sematary) and when he doesn't (The Shining) so he may just go ahead and mention if he's unhappy with what Dauberman does with his work next.

Being able to be a part of the team that brings these things to the big screen has been a remarkable experience and a whole hell of a lot of fun. So at the end of the day, man, we're working on IT or 'Salem's Lot, and I just don't want to... [Pauses.] I just hope Stephen King likes it. [Laughs.] At the end of the day, if he's okay with it, then I'm okay with it. That's kind of what I'm working towards. I've talked about keeping my head down and doing the work, and to not try to think about the pressure of when I read this for the first time, or all the fans and all that stuff. You just try to go, 'Okay, this is a fucking great book. How can I make this a great movie?'

That's all you can do, really, then hope for the best.

IT: Chapter 2 opens in theaters September 6, 2019. The first trailer recently came out, with Pennywise creeping on the now adult Bev (Jessica Chastain). Annabelle Comes Home, both written and directed by Gary Dauberman, opens June 26. Dauberman's Swamp Thing premiered May 31 on DC Universe. Stay tuned for updates on 'Salem's Lot as it moves forward. Keep up with all of the movies already scheduled to open in 2019 with our handy release guide.

What Happens To Valkyrie In Phase 4? Here's What Tessa Thompson Says

What Happens To Valkyrie In Phase 4? Here's What Tessa Thompson Says

This week is an extremely exciting one for moviegoers, leading to a blockbuster release a decade in the making. One full year after Infinity War shocked us all, Avengers: Endgame will finally arrive in theaters to continue the MCU's main narrative. The fandom is eager to see what happened to the surviving heroes after Thanos snapped his finger and wiped out half of all life.

Thanos' snap (aka The Decimation) reduced countless characters to dust, but Avengers: Infinity War left a few characters' fates unclear. Chief among them was Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie, who was noticeably absent during the opening Asgardian massacre. We recently learned that she survived the snap, although Thompson admits she's not sure what could come next for Val in Phase Four. As she tells it:

All I know is that she’s alive, which is a big start. I don’t know anything about what happens to her, or how she’ll be positioned, if at all, in the next phase. I have some ideas, but I don’t know.

Despite being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it doesn't look like Tessa Thompson knows all that much more than us fans. Much of the MCU's next slate of films is a mystery, and that includes Valkyrie's role and the possibility of Thor 4.

Tessa Thompson's comments to Collider further demonstrate how Marvel Studios is keepings its cards close to the chest during this very exciting time. The narrative possibilities for Avengers: Endgame are seemingly limitless, and that's largely due to how well the MCU's secrets have been guarded. Only Robert Downey Jr. was given a full script, and the movie's trailers have revealed little to nothing about the film's contents.

This secrecy may not have stopped some spoilers from leaking, but it's kept the majority of the public in the dark. While this will allow for a better moviegoing experience, it means that actors like Tessa Thompson are currently left out of the loop regarding her character's future in the behemoth shared universe.

Related: Tessa Thompson Explains Her Goals For An All-Female Marvel Team

Of course, Tessa Thompson is privy to some Marvel conversations that the public couldn't possibly be apart of. She recently revealed that ideas for Thor 4 are being tossed around, with the studio reportedly hoping to bring Ragnarok Taika Waititi for another sequel. But we shouldn't expect any answers until Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters, and the fandom is given ample opportunity to recover from all the twist and turns.

Valkyrie should appear eventually in Avengers: Endgame, although it's unclear how big her role may be. Character posters confirmed that she survived the affects of Thanos' snap, but it's unclear where she was during Thanos' assault on the Asgardian Ship. Tessa Thompson has joked about the possibilities, but she also seems out of the loop regarding her character's fate.

Tessa Thompson's Endgame role was teased in a recent TV spot for the highly anticipated Marvel blockbuster. She was briefly seen in casual clothes, possibly in New York City. But given The Russo Brothers' penchant for including fake footage, who knows how legit that is. As a reminder, you can check out the TV spot below.

Despite her noticeable absence from Avengers: Infinity War, Valkryie will eventually pop up during the events of Endgame. Here's hoping she gets to get in on some action, and join the battle against Thanos. Considering half the galaxy faded to dust as a result of the Mat Titan's quest, the surviving heroes are going to need all the help they can to fight back and avenge the fallen.

Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie made her Marvel debut in Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok, and quickly made an impression among the rabid Marvel fandom. Ragnarok was a game changer for the Thor franchise, taking the title character into space and destroying much of what was built in the first two movies. This includes Jane Foster and her friends, as well as the Warrior's Three.

When Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder crash landed on Sakaar, it was Valkyrie who captured him and brought him to Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster. But we eventually learned about her tragic story, as Hela massacred her fellow Asgardian warriors back in the day. It's this thirst for vengeance (and liquor) that inspires her to join forces with the likes of Thor, Hulk, and Loki.

Related: Natalie Portman Shares Her Favorite Part About Playing Jane Foster In The MCU

It's Valkyrie's mixture of sass and hidden vulnerability that helped audiences connect with the newcomer. She was utterly imperfect, with a substance abuse issue helping to numb her trauma and self-loathing. Tessa Thompson also played Valkyrie as a queer woman, breaking new ground for the MCU. While her gay scene was ultimately left on the cutting room floor, it seemed inevitable that Thompson should eventually reprise her role, and further expand the character's backstory.

Just how Valkyrie will return to our screens is a mystery. The most obvious choice would be a role in Thor 4, but there's no guarantee that that project will come to fruition. With Endgame Chris Hemsworth has reached the end of his contract with Disney, so Marvel Studios will have to try and strike the right deal with both he and Taika Waititi.

If Thor ends up dying in Endgame and/or Chris Hemsworth refuses to return to his signature Marvel role, perhaps Tessa Thompson will finally get her dream of an all-female Marvel movie. The long rumored project started when a group of Marvel heroines (including Thompson) pitched the idea to Kevin Feige. While far from an official business meeting, Captain Marvel's massive box office success could give the studio reason to invest in the idea. And hopefully bring back Valkyrie in the process.

Luckily, we don't have to wait too long for answers. Avengers: Endgame will arrive in theaters on April 26th, with Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie in tow. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend's Endgame death pool, and our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Terminator: Dark Fate Used A Clever Sarah Connor Callback To Reveal New Poster

Terminator: Dark Fate Used A Clever Sarah Connor Callback To Reveal New Poster

There's no fate but what we make for ourselves, and fans took that very seriously when it came to the Terminator: Dark Fate poster. You may know that tomorrow -- Thursday, May 23 -- we are getting the first official trailer for Terminator 6. A day ahead of schedule, the movie's official poster was revealed. The reveal used a perfect callback to the first movie, 1984's The Terminator, just using social media instead of a phone book.

Before the official Terminator: Dark Fate site shared the poster of Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor, the wise sages at The Terminator Fans discovered that the poster had already been quietly shared another way:

Yes, there's a new account called @SarahConnor829 -- with that August 29 date having special significance as Judgment Day itself. That account just opened and only shared one tweet, the poster that the fans quickly found.

The official Terminator: Dark Fate Twitter account reposted the above tweet with congratulations:

You've identified the official poster. She is the one we've been looking for.

Here's a little more background on Paramount's clever marketing twist for the poster. In an ode to Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1984 Terminator going through the phone book to find and kill off any and all Sarah Connors to get to the right one, there was a Twitter list created of Sarah Connors. A Sarah Connor account within the list launched the poster early Wednesday morning -- the day before the trailer release -- and The Terminator Fans site found the right one.

Here's a full look at the poster, which was shared with the caption "Welcome to the day after Judgment Day":

Terminator: Dark Fate is meant to be a sequel to both The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day -- considering "forgettable" films Terminator 3, Terminator Salvation, and Terminator Genisys as happening in alternate timelines. T2 ended with Sarah and John Connor driving away down a highway, and that's another reference you can see in the new Dark Fate poster.

As you can see with this poster, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor is front and center in the promotion for Terminator: Dark Fate. In this case, she walks alone, even though she will be joined by several old and new characters. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be returning as T-800, with newcomers including Mackenzie Davis as assassin-from-the-future Grace, Natalia Reyes as Dani Ramos, Diego Boneta as Dani's brother, and Gabriel Luna as the new Termintator. The new liquid metal Terminator can duplicate himself, and apparently he has been sent to terminate Dani, while Grace is meant to protect her.

Linda Hamilton said James Cameron is the one who convinced her to come back for Terminator: Dark Fate. He directed her in the first two movies, but now he's "just" a hands-on producer, although he's also on the list of story-by credits. Tim Miller (Deadpool) is the one who directed Terminator 6.

CinemaBlend already got to see some early footage from Terminator: Dark Fate at CinemaCon 2019 and shared a promising update.

Fans will get their first looks at Terminator: Dark Fate footage when the first trailer drops tomorrow morning, Thursday, May 23. The movie is scheduled to open in theaters on November 1, 2019. Keep up with all of the 2019 release dates with our handy guide.

Horror Directors Who Later Made Superhero Movies

Horror Directors Who Later Made Superhero Movies

What is it about horror directors that draws them to make comic book adaptations? While it may feel like Aquaman and Shazam! are the start of a new trend in hiring horror talent for superhero stories, history shows that there are quite a few directors who have moved between both worlds. And in some cases, there’s pretty prolific films on both sides of the aisle, stemming from those who decided to walk the line between screams and dreams. Some might surprise you, while others are pretty standard; but all made their mark in these twin worlds of fantasy. So without further ado, let's go down the list, shall we?

Richard Donner

Arguably the most classic example of the worlds of comics and horror crossing over, director Richard Donner’s resume spans work from varied genres, with two big films sticking out. The Omen from 1976 and 1978’s Superman: The Movie were Donner’s big, back to back contributions to horror and heroes, and taking them both into account, the filmmaker kind of made the same film twice - telling a story of a family taking in and raising an incredibly powerful being. The big difference is that Damien doesn't leap tall buildings in a single bound, and Superman doesn't flip out when approaching a house of worship. But the same steady hand guided both stories, and while Donner didn't get to do everything he'd set out to with his Superman films, his work still remains as the gold standard for the character.

James Gunn

Everyone knows James Gunn’s work from Guardians of the Galaxy as his major calling card in the industry today, and having made two films of comedy, music, and heart, he’s just been brought back to do a third one. But before it was all about Star-Lord’s famous Walkman and awesome mixes, Gunn had a different film that shocked the world into paying attention to him, and it was called Slither. A creature feature of the highest order, it was the film that brought Gunn together with the likes of Michael Rooker and Nathan Fillion, enabling him to cast them in later projects - including both Guardians movies. Of course, it also showed how well he worked with disgusting monsters that threaten a ragtag group of heroes.

James Wan

Back when films like Saw and Dead Silence were director James Wan’s bread and butter, if you had asked anyone if he’d be their first choice to direct an Aquaman movie you’d probably get a lot of laughter. But that’s exactly what happened, as the man who was crafting a whole cinematic universe of scares with The Conjuring films was brought in on the King Tide to send Jason Momoa’s titular hero shooting up the box office charts. Now, with Aquaman 2 obviously in the water, we just might be seeing the same hands that put reverse bear traps and creepy puppets into our nightmares spinning tales of superpowered heroism again in the near future.

David F. Sandberg

Speaking of The Conjuring, it’s only taken three years and three movies for the talented David F. Sandberg to go from horror newbie to superhero newbie, and with the results have been impressive. Back in 2016 we saw Sandberg adapt his short film Lights Out into a blockbuster horror hit, which eventually sent him to not only rehabilitate the Annabelle franchise with its sequel Annabelle: Creation, but eventually landed him in the position to call the shots on the aforementioned Shazam! Judging by the reaction we've seeen to that film so far, from both critics and fans alike, it sounds like Sandberg is going to fit into this long legacy of filmmakers just fine.

Guillermo del Toro

Yes, even Guillermo del Toro directed a superhero feature. While some modern comic book movie fans might not remember the Blade franchise, 2002’s Blade II was brought into the world by the steady hands of del Toro himself - doing a wonderful job actually mixing to two genres. What’s even better about this particular example of a horror and comic enhanced resume is the fact that Guillermo del Toro never stopped making horror films, and didn’t stop at one superhero film either. From Chronos to Pan’s Labyrinth, he's always been scaring the pants off of audience, and the man also found time to sneak in two Hellboy movies onto his dance card.

Sam Raimi

Debuting with a film like The Evil Dead immediately helped Sam Raimi establish himself in the horror world, and eventually direct his career to create a foundation based on the genre of screams. But eventually those howls turned to fantasies, as 1990’s Darkman saw Raimi break into superhero storytelling with pretty fantastic results (while still including a few jumps). That being said, it's still not the man's greatest achievement in the realm, as a little over a decade later the director brought the world our first ever Spider-Man movie, and then two sequels. It was a film that really changed big screen comic book movies forever, and one could argue that the landscape wouldn't be what it is today without it.

Scott Derrickson

Scott Derrickson is a man who has made one hell of a living off of the horror genre, later making the successful jump into the world of the caped and the courageous. Derrickson made his big splash as a director with The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and only continued to frighten the world with features like Sinister and Deliver Us From Evil for quite a long stretch of his early career. Proving clearly adept with genre storytelling after turning Doctor Strange into a smashing success, Derrickson looks like he’ll continue to play both sides of the fence, as Doctor Strange 2 is basically confirmed, and at least one other horror flavored project, Two Eyes Staring, looks to be in his future as well.

Ruben Fleischer

Zombieland was all it took for director Ruben Fleischer to become a hot new talent in the year of 2009. An irreverent zombie film that didn’t skimp on the kills or the laughs, the film became a pop culture hit almost instantly. However, it took another nine years for Fleischer to make the jump into superhero films, with one of the most horror fueled entries in the genre’s recent history: Venom. While the movie wasn't all that well-received by critics, there's also no arguing about its incredible success, as the Tom Hardy hit from last year is on track to be the basis for a whole new superhero continuity. And in the meantime, Fleisher is set to return to his horror roots with Zombieland: Double Tap currently filming and set to be released later this year.

Wes Craven

You might want to prepare yourself for a bit of a shock with this next one, because while Wes Craven is mostly known for bringing audiences face to face with their nightmares, he also took a superhero film on as a project in the earlier days of his career. By the time Craven had Last House On The Left and The Hills Have Eyes under his belt, he found himself wandering into the world of Swamp Thing, bringing the DC hero to life for Hollywood in 1982. Here’s the fun part though: you’ll notice that there’s one particular film that wasn’t made at that point, as A Nightmare On Elm Street wouldn’t exist for another two years. Seeing as that film was a box office smash, and Swamp Thing became a cult classic at best, Craven can’t be faulted for staying in the realm of horror.

Tim Burton

Picture this: you’re a young hot shot director named Tim Burton, and you’ve always kind of been taken with the world of gothic horror. After making Pee Wee’s Big Adventure the success that it is, what’s the first project you choose to do? Naturally, you'd cash in those favors and swing for a home run in your genre of choice, like Burton did with 1988’s horror-comedy classic Beetlejuice. That decision proved to be a classic success, because after turning on the juice and seeing the box office magic that shook loose, Tim Burton was brought in to usher a new era of superhero films into being. Using his gothic sensibilities, Burton jumpstarted Batman in 1989, and the rest was Danny Elfman enhanced history, continuing with Batman Returns three years later. In the years since he's not only continued to occupationally dabble in the world of horror - such as with the Oscar winning Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - but his aesthetic is still having an impact on comic book movie storytelling 30 years later.

Zack Snyder

For our last example, we’ve saved quite probably the most interesting. In recent years, director Zack Snyder has become primarily known as the director that tried in vain to get the DC Extended Universe off of the ground. After comic hits like 300 and Watchmen, Snyder graduated to Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. But before any of those films, the man had a pretty impressive claim to fame: he directed the 2004 remake of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, created with a script from the aforementioned James Gunn. Though more than half of his filmmography is now superhero movies, Snyder's feature roots are in horror, and to it he is returning to the genre next with the Netflix film Army of the Dead.

Looking at this list, maybe some directors best known for superhero movies should think about taking a page from the books of these intrepid filmmakers and pull a reverse migration into the world of horror. If the results are as promising as the stories we’ve recounted above, the scariest genre could see an even bigger boost than the one its currently experiencing.

John Travolta Is Bloody And Unrecognizable Filming New Movie

John Travolta Is Bloody And Unrecognizable Filming New Movie

We know John Travolta as a dance move icon for Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and Hairspray, but he's also quite the character actor -- known memorably for Face/Off, Pulp Fiction, American Crime Story, and Gotti. Next up, the actor has another big-screen transformation on the way for suspense-thriller Moose… and it’s quite the sight for a bloody eye. Take a look:

Whoa! What’s happening here? The Instagram post features John Travolta in character for Moose, as the titular character with chopped gray hair and some gory makeup that indicates his eye will certainly take a beating sometime during the film. To cut the tension of Travolta’s look is Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst peeking out from behind the actor.

Fred Durst is the director and co-writer of Moose, and while the musician-turned-filmmaker hasn’t had much luck providing crowd-pleasing movies to audiences in the past, his upcoming project with John Travolta certainly has an interesting premise. Check it out, according to another post on the Moose Instagram:

On the grimey streets of Hollywood, a hyper, celebrity-obsessed man-child feels slighted by his favorite movie star at an autograph convention and embarks on an unhinged quest to get a response from the actor – leading to a home invasion and a VERY long night that changes both men irreparably. John Travolta (Moose), Devon Sawa (Hunter), and Ana Golja (Leah) team up in this violent, pitch black satire of our culture’s obsession with fame, and the social contract between celebrities and their fans in the social media age.

This is kind of exciting, right? John Travolta will be playing a fanatic fan to Devon Sawa’s Hunter Dunbar; Travolta's Moose reverts to some intense stalking of the action hero following some ill feelings after an encounter with him. It looks like things are going to get real bloody, based on this image, and judging by the description of this movie, it could be a crazy ride to go on.

Moose is apparently based on an actual incident from the Limp Bizkit singer's past. Fred Durst has previously directed music videos for his band, commercials, and two films: 2007’s The Education of Charlie Banks with Jesse Eisenberg and 2008’s The Longshots with Ice Cube. Previously, Durst had a cameo in Travolta’s 2005 film Be Cool, but this is a much more involved collaboration.

On Friday, TMZ spoke with John Travolta on Moose, and the actor had some great things to say about the time on the project. In his words:

Maybe my favorite experience I’ve had. He’s so generous and he’s such an artist. And he allowed me to create a character that no one else would allow. It’s really a wild character and I felt very free to do that.

Wow! Does Moose trump his time with Quentin Tarantino? As John Travolta commented, he loved having the space to craft a crazy character with the director and looks to really dig the unique vision he has for the project. Maybe this dark comedy/thriller hybrid will join Travolta’s many iconic roles and potentially signal a long-awaited comeback for the actor?

No word on the exact release date yet, but Bloody Disgusting did just report that Moose -- or The Fanatic, as it may ultimately be called -- was acquired by Amazon and may be released this summer. Stay tuned and check out our 2019 release calendar for your next trip to the movies.

Avengers: Endgame Directors Reveal If A Fan Has Ever Guessed What Happens

Avengers: Endgame Directors Reveal If A Fan Has Ever Guessed What Happens

The marketing for Avengers: Endgame has been so secretive that we can probably summarize everything we know about this movie in a few short sentences. Marvel and the Russo Bros. want to replicate the moviegoing experience before the internet existed, which means going into a movie as spoiler-free as possible. But the internet DOES exist and in response to a lack of official details, fans have created and shared their theories about Endgame, some of which are close to the truth but are never 100% correct.

Endgame fan theories have been spreading like wildfire over the last few months as fans try to connect the dots from trailers, set photo leaks, and whatever else their imaginations can come up with. Some popular fan theories include the use of time travel, who might be a Skrull, and what exactly will happen to Captain America. Fan theories can be fun to create and read, but how close do fans actually get to predicting the movie?

According to the Russo Bros., fans have gotten close in some instances, but no one has ever predicted exactly what is going to happen in any of their Marvel movies. The duo detailed their thoughts on fan theories during a press interview with Jake Hamilton. Here's what they said:

Anthony Russo: Here's the thing, the fans are so passionate and they spend such a long time living with these characters, thinking about these characters, and they're using their imaginations to follow where these stories could possibly go. Sometimes they're wildly off, sometimes they're kinda next door to what might happen. ... Here's the thing, nothing's ever THAT close. You can get kinda close, but it's never exactly.

Joe Russo: Our mission's always to surprise people. So we try to make really surprising choices.

Sorry, to break it to those who want Ant-Man to jump up Thanos' butt and explode him from the inside, but you are only sort of correct.

It's not that surprising to learn that no one is a psychic and has figured out what happens in Endgame. The stars of the film have said it's impossible to guess what happens. The people who make these movies wouldn't be doing their job if they weren't able to surprise people like they did with the ending of Avengers: Infinity War. That being said, I bet that there are some theories that are close to the target, but we won't know which ones until Endgame finally arrive in theaters later this month.

At least the wait isn't too much longer! Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26, so get those last theories out there while you've still got a chance. If you'd like a refresher on Endgame, we've got you covered. Here's everything we know so far about the highly anticipated blockbuster film.

Rocketman’s Taron Egerton Really Wants To Make Elton John Happy With His Portrayal

Rocketman’s Taron Egerton Really Wants To Make Elton John Happy With His Portrayal

A few weeks back, Rami Malek took home the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Queen singer Freddie Mercury in the crowd-pleasing Bohemian Rhapsody. And while Malek had the full support of living Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, he never had to contend with Mercury’s assessment of the performance. The same can’t be said for Taron Egerton, who is about to play Elton John on screen in the biopic Rocketman. John is very much alive and touring, and when asked about having to play Sir Elton in front of Sir Elton, Egerton admits:

He’s so universally loved, and I just want to make him happy really. Just getting over the pressure of it and having a good time.

Taron Egerton makes the leap to the piano bench after tackling spies in the Kingsman movies, and the ski jump in the winning Eddie the Eagle. He can’t be feeling too much pressure, as Sir Elton John has been very vocal in his support for both the movie Rocketman and the lead casting. The legendary singer/songwriter apparently gave producers his blessing on Egerton after hearing him sing. And recently, the duo performed John’s hit Tiny Dancer together, which was lovely.

And yet, in the back of his mind, Taron Egerton has to feel that if the reviews are bad, or his performance is criticized, he will have Sir Elton John to answer to! When asked by James Corden on the Late Late Show episode about when John will see Rocketman, the young star sheepishly admitted:

I don’t want to know.

Hilarious. You know that the two of them will play nicely on the promotional tour for Rocketman. In fact, if it’s anything like Bohemian Rhapsody, the members of Queen were extremely vocal in support of that film, and even rode the movie’s momentum to an opening slot at the Academy Awards. So, can we expect to see an Elton John and Taron Egerton duet at the Oscars next year? Only if there’s an original song on the Rocketman soundtrack, which could be eligible.

Check out the full clip of Taron Egerton talking Rocketman and playing “James That Tune” on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

We’ll all be able to judge for ourselves how Taron Egerton does as Sir Elton John when Dexter Fletcher’s Rocketman reaches theaters on May 31. From what we have seen so far, it’s embracing a fantasy element that will allow it to bob and weave between truth and fiction (which were some of the slings aimed at Bohemian Rhapsody). But with John’s blessings, it should be a smooth ride, no?