Speaking with Collider’s Editor-in-ChiefSteven WeintraubatToronto International Film Festival’s(TIFF) Collider Media Studio,David FurnishandR. J. Cutlerdiscussed their latest documentary,Elton John: Never Too Late. From the potential for new albums to Elton John’s love for new artists likeChappell Roan, John’s husband Furnish dished on what’s next for the beloved musician.Elton John: Never Too Lateis a co-production betweenDisney+andElton John’s production company Rocket Pictures, and was first shown to audiences at TIFF on June 16, 2025. The film will be released for streaming on Disney+ on July 18, 2025.
The documentary depicts the singer as he has never been seen on screen before,following John’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ world tourwith segments of personal archival and performance footage, private journal entries, and an insight into the singer and husband Furnish’s family life. First announced in 2022 with the working title “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend,” the film gives a comprehensive oversight into the past 50 years of John’s career,beginning in his 1970s heydayand depicting his professional and personal life up until his concluding tour.
What’s Next For Elton John?
Discussing the future for the beloved singer, Weintraub asked Furnish and Cutler, “Are there plans for more concert films or things like that?” Furnish responded, teasing the potential for further cinematic projects for the popular singer. He said, “Elton is most inspired by new creation.That is what excites him the most.”
Furnish went on to discuss the success of the couple’s current and upcoming musical theatre ventures, saying, “We have two stage musicals opening this year. We haveThe Devil Wears Prada, which we’ve been working on for over eight years in London, which is going to have its world premiere on the first of December, World AIDS Day, and we’re very excited about that.” He went on to tease another exciting theater project, saying:
“We have a musical that we’ve been working on for 14 years about the life of Tammy Faye Baker, a televangelist. We opened that in a very limited capacity at the Almeida Theatre in London, which is only a 300-seat theater. We did it very much off the radar and said,‘This isn’t the next big Elton John musical,‘because we wanted it to find its feet and get a sense of how audiences would respond. We sold out almost immediately, got fantastic reviews, and now we’re gonna open on Broadway in the newly restored Palace Theatre in November. So, that’s just two irons that we have in the fire at the moment.”
Can We Expect Any New Albums From Elton John?
Considering the potential for further Elton John albums, Furnish explained that the singer is always keenly working on new ideas. He said, “Elton, I know, wants to write and record andcontinue to develop new stuff. He doesn’t sit on an archive of unreleased recordings that he’s dying to put out. He always does one album at a time,” Furnish explained. “It is very much something that exists in its own right, and if it doesn’t make it onto the album, then in his mind, it shouldn’t be on the album, and it shouldn’t be released publicly. So,Elton is the least nostalgic person I know.I think the thing that he would find difficult would be to sort of say, ‘Oh, let’s keep going back and looking at the past. Let’s keep unearthing things that haven’t been seen or done before.'”
Furnish went on to commend the comparatively reflective effort ofElton John: Never Too Late, saying:
“I was so thrilled with this documentary.We had an opportunity to do that with the archive footage that we have and the audio tapes. Elton’s handwritten diaries serendipitously found their way back to us a few years ago. Elton had forgotten he’d done them, and they areliterally a handwritten day-by-day accountof the rise of one of the most important and successful careers in music history.”
Elton John Was Never “Casual” About Chappell Roan
“He’s like a shark,” described Furnish, “He has to keep moving forward to stay alive. It’s what feeds him. It’s what thrives him.” Furnish also discussed John’s passion for supporting up-and-coming voices in the industry. Speaking onviral pop-sensationChappell Roan, Furnish said:
“His radio shows, he absolutely loves doing them.He’s doing lots of work on the side in terms of Chappell Roan, for example.He played “Pink Pony Club” over a year ago when that single came out, got her number, called her, and has stayed in touch with her ever since, and sort of checks in from time to time because he watches the charts every day. He doesn’t do it for kudos, he does it becausehe cares about the future of young artists, and he sees people with talent and potential. He calls her up, and he says, ‘Your album is about to break.’ ‘Really?’ ‘Oh, yeah, I’m watching the numbers. I know how this works. I know how the charts work. You’re getting the right amount of ads. This is hanging around. This is your lead single.'”
TheElton John: Never Too Lateco-director continued, explaining where John’s passion for uplifting newer artists comes from and his pay-it-forward mindset. He said, “He does that for love.He does that for love of craft,and he does it because he remembers all of the artists when he was starting out, likeLeon Russell, likeBrian Wilson from The Beach Boys, likeGeorge Harrisonor[Bob] Dylanto reach out to him to say, ‘I love what you do. Have you thought of doing this?’ Just kind of giving him the nudge and the nods that he needed to continue to propel him in the right direction.”
Elton John: Never Too Latefirst played at the Toronto International Film Festival on August 27, 2025. The film will be released on Disney+ on July 16, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for more information and more news out of TIFF.
Elton John: Never Too Late (2024)
Directed by R.J. Cutler and David Furnish, the film follows Elton John’s journey through his 50-year career, culminating in his final concert at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 2022. The documentary provides an intimate look at his life, featuring new interviews, never-before-seen archival footage, and a new original song by Elton John.
