Upon hearing that Rocketman’s gay content had been removed for the Russian market, Elton and the filmmakers released a sternly worded statement that read: “That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people. Those controversial scenes even got the movie censored in Russia. 1 showing at the box office this week coincides with the kickoff of Pride Month, much hype surrounds the film’s love scenes between Elton, uncannily portrayed by Taron Egerton, and his ’70s manager/boyfriend John Reid, played by Richard Madden.
