Johnny Flynn is a pre-Ziggy David Bowie in first trailer for Stardust

David Bowie: style icon, musical genius, and a man who could seemingly reinvent himself at will. But what was the story before even Ziggy Stardust was a twinkle in the Life on Mars singer’s eye? 

That’s the subject of a new biopic, starring Johnny Flynn as a 24-year-old David Bowie, and we’ve just had our first look at the film courtesy of a new Stardust trailer.

Stardust, which doesn’t have rights to Bowie’s music, nor the blessing of his estate, follows Bowie as his post-Space Oddity success wanes and his attempts to crack America prove futile. But he’s got one last hope: Mercury Records publicist Rob Oberman (Marc Meron).

Following on in the fancy footsteps of the likes of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman was always going to be a tough gig, though Stardust will hit the right notes for many of Bowie’s fans, even without the music.

For one thing, Flynn – a singer in his own right – nails Bowie’s shy charm and mannerisms and the playful mystery of a man obscured by his multiple personas. He might not be in the running for any Best Actor nods, but it’s an able recreation of the singer.

Then comes the persona: Ziggy Stardust. The Stardust trailer merely hints at the iconic transformation, but you won’t have to wait long to find out the full story – the film hits video-on-demand services and some select theatres on November 25.

In the meantime, check out the best shows on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix.