Elton John to Pen Musical Film for Ben Stiller

By Adam Hetrick
October 15, 2008

Elton John, the pop writer and performer who has also found success as a Broadway composer, recently said that he will begin work on a new movie musical for comedic actor Ben Stiller.

The composer of The Lion King, Billy Elliot and Aida revealed in an interview with GQ Magazine that he intends to pen a vehicle for Stiller that will cast him as "a guy on Broadway who is gay, has HIV and AIDS, and has to go back and face his wife and his kids that he left."

While John admits in the interview the premise doesn't sound like inspiration for a musical comedy, he assures "GQ" that the film will be "very funny."

Billy Elliot, Elton John's latest international hit musical, is currently in previews on Broadway. The production will officially open Nov. 13 at the Imperial Theatre. In addition to writing the Broadway musicals The Lion King, Aida and Lestat, Elton John will join a host of music and theatre stars for the one-night-only benefit concert of his album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" at the New Amsterdam Theatre Oct. 20.