Johnny Flynn is a pre-Ziggy David Bowie in first trailer for Stardust
See Ziggy Stardust come to life in trailer for new David Bowie biopic
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.
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I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.