Elton John Documentary Yellow Brick Road Will Stream On Disney+
It looks like Disney is hungry for more classic rock and roll documentaries. We all saw how well Peter Jackson's "Get Back" turned out and now Disney+ is going to be the home for another doc about the final performance of a rock and roll legend.
On the docket for the growing streamer is "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and The Years That Made His Legend," which follows the flashy music icon on his final live North American tour (which is happening as we speak). It will also serve as the final word on Elton John's legacy with new interviews, never-before-scene concert footage from throughout his career, and a present-day look at his personal family life.
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is being spear-headed by RJ Cutler and David Furnish. Furnish is Elton John's husband and a producer on the film "Rocketman" while Cutler is the Academy Award-nominated documentarian behind the recent "Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry" and "The War Room."
The idea of the outrageous performer being the subject on a Disney platform would have caused a panic among the parents of the 1970s. But Elton John has been an integral part of the Disney renaissance going back to his iconic soundtrack to 1994's "The Lion King," so it is fitting that Disney+ will host the official and final word on his legacy.
Past and present intermingle in the new documentary
According to the press release, the documentary will alternate between John's first 5 years as his star rose from 1970 to 1975 and his current final live tour, effectively bookending his five-decade and counting career. It promises to be the definitive account of one of our most recognizable rock stars.
With Furnish producing, we can be sure to get first-hand glimpses at the life and legacy of Elton John, and with RJ Cutler directing, we can be reasonably assured it won't just be a glamor reel. His work with Billie Eilish was intimate, but not overly reverential. That's not to say we're going to get a graphic tell-all of the drug and sex scene of the 1970s, but hopefully, there's a little more depth to this project than just a reminder of John's incredible talent as a songwriter and performer.
No release date has been announced yet, but we do know that Elton John finishes his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour at Dodgers Stadium this November, so it's a safe bet that the doc won't be ready to go anytime before that.