Can I use the John?

After agreeing to play Elton John in a movie biography, Justin Timberlake is apparently having second thoughts ... He said that when he was initially approached, 'I thought, "Wow, you're offering me that role?" But when I read the script, all the wild stuff had been left out.' The newspaper has said that Timberlake wants the film to include "sex and drug-taking" and that the producers of the film, budgeted at $39 million, have now ordered a massive rewrite in order to keep the pop star aboard. 'I told the studio that it would have to be warts-and-all so that's what it's going to be. I can't wait to get started,' Timberlake told the newspaper. (IMDb, March 8)

Isn't that all the rage? Playing musicians onscreen, warts and all, I mean. Looks like J-Tim wants to simulate Jamie Foxx's success with 'Ray' by really digging deep and truly portraying the man behind the music. Either that, or he wants to have his share of simulated sex and blow. Or wear funny hats.

His quotations in Britain's Daily Star seem self-serving and transparent. He wants to amp up the life of John so that he can amp up his own celebrity. J-Tim wants an Oscar.

Why must Hollywood convert the life of every icon into a biopic? It seems to be a rite of passage if you're a megastar; eventually, you get summarized into celluloid. But Elton John isn't even 60 years old yet. At least Taylor Hackford waited 15 years until it looked like Ray Charles was courting death, and then got the great go-ahead from above when Charles actually died. And you know for sure that a John biopic will be titled 'Rocket Man' even before there's a final draft. But I think it's gonna be a long, long time before there is a final draft.

Regardless, I look forward to the announcement that Cameron Diaz is in talks to play Princess Diana.