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.

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.