Tom Hardy Rumored To Be Circling Elton John Biopic

Fresh off of the success of Behind the Candelabra, HBO’s Liberace biopic, come casting rumors about another upcoming film project centered around another gay musical performer.

Elton John’s Rocketman, which has been in development for a few years now, has recently come into the spotlight once again amid rumors that Tom Hardy, star of films such as The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, This Is War, Bronson, and the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road, is currently circling the lead role. Hardy has yet to receive a formal offer or offer a comment. However, HitFlix has reportedly received news from within that producers Elton John, David Furnish, and Steve Hamilton-Shaw, and director Michael Gracy currently have Hardy at the top of their most-wanted list.

John has previously expressed interest in having actor-musician Justin Timberlake play the lead role, one that he has already performed in a David LaChapelle video and on Saturday Night Live. No news has been released as to whether Timberlake is still in the running.

Movies: "Lawless" Needs More Moonshine

Oh, Shia... Man up! You've disappointed Tom Hardy again.

BY NATHANIEL ROGERS

YOUR FEATURE PRESENTATION

Special Deputy Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) doesn't believe the tall tales about the outlaw Bondurant Boys he keeps hearing in LAWLESS, especially the ones about Forrest (Tom Hardy). Local Virginia legend has it that Forrest can't be killed, that he's immortal.  "Have you ever seen what a tommy gun does to 'immortal'?" Rakes sneers in a (successful) effort to terrorize the town's Forrest fearing men into submission. Rakes then beats the youngest Bondurant brother Jack (Shia Labeouf) into a blubbering pulp. But, as it turns out, the Bondurant brothers are resilient enough to inspire tall tales. Forrest and his brothers make their living as moonshiners in this Depression-era Western and with Prohibition empowering organized crime, everyone is looking to be the top boss. The brothers value their autonomy but the guns are out and if an actual crime lord (Gary Oldman's "Floyd Banner") don't get them, then the even more crooked law enforcement (Pearce's Deputy) just might.

Such is the bloody conflict of John Hillcoat's Lawless, based on the historical novel "The Wettest County in the World" which was written by a grandson of the Bondurants (all childless during the movie) suggesting straightaway that at least one of them is going to make it out of the movie alive. Not that the film is shy about spoilers given its heavy handed foreshadowing and the past-tense narration. (You gotta Live to Tell).

MORE AFTER THE JUMP...

Guy Pearce in "Lawless"

Watch New TV Spots For 'Dark Knight Rises:' VIDEO

Warner Bros. debuted its first television spot for The Dark Knight Rises during the American Idol finale last night. A second one has also popped up on the web.

Watch them both, AFTER THE JUMP...

Tom Hardy: Gay Rumors Impossible to Extinguish, Doesn't Care

Tom Hardy talks to Vulture about his currently very bushy beard, and why he's commenting on your blog posts.

That’s wise. And at least you know you can always grow that beard again if you need to go down to the corner shop undetected.

And I f**king will as well!

How long did it take to grow that out?

Five months. And I’ve already trimmed it a lot, because people are saying it's grizzly.

Which people?

Oh, I'm a terrible reader of the Internet and stuff like that.

And you read what people say about you?

Yeah, 'cause in my head, I’m still not famous. It's like, "Hey, I'm on this site!" Or [to my fiancée], "Look at what we were wearing last night! And everyone says you look great." And then someone will say, "Tom Hardy is a c*nt because … " What? WHAT?

And then do you reply anonymously?

Yes, sometimes! Wouldn't you? Sometimes no one’s defending my corner! And then what you find — I've done it before — is that it’s a forest fire that you can’t put out. It's like [when commenters say], "Is he gay? Isn’t he gay?" Does it matter? Does it actually?

And, a hot shot for old time's sake, AFTER THE JUMP...

'The Dark Knight Rises' Trailer Has Risen: VIDEO

The full Dark Knight Rises trailer is finally here, starring Christian Bale, featuring Tom Hardy as Bane, and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, and Gotham in all its Gothamy goodness. Also, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Marion Cotillard.

Check it out, AFTER THE JUMP...

In theaters July 20.

Gareth Thomas: Tom Hardy Will Not Be Playing Me

Gay rugby star Gareth Thomas denies reports in UK's Sun tabloid that Tom Hardy is under consideration to replace Mickey Rourke in the biopic about his life.

Says Thomas to the Press Association:

"Any notion that Mickey is giving up on the role are way off the mark. We'd love Tom Hardy to be involved, but he will not be playing me. I teamed up with Mickey because in my opinion there's nobody better to take on such a challenging role and nothing has changed there. He's so motivated by the role it's blown me away. I'm an ex-rugby player, films are Mickey's world and I totally trust in his vision for the film."