Elton John: Never Too Late is a 2024 documentary film directed by R. J. Cutler and David Furnish. A co-production of Disney Original Documentary and Rocket Entertainment, the film profiles Elton John on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert tour, also integrating historic performance footage, excerpts from his private journals, and personal footage of his family life behind the scenes.
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024, and had a limited theatrical release by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States and United Kingdom on November 15, 2024, before streaming on Disney+ on December 13, 2024. At the 97th Academy Awards, the original song "Never Too Late", written and performed by John himself and Brandi Carlile, was nominated for Best Original Song, becoming John's fifth and Carlile's first nomination in the category.
Production and development The film's production was announced in 2022, originally with the working title Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend. Disney acquired the rights for the film for reportedly $30 million. The title change came after Brandi Carlile composed the film's original song "Never Too Late", inspired after seeing a draft of the documentary at Elton John's home in southern France along with the director David Furnish.
Release The film premiered on September 6, 2024, at the Toronto International Film Festival, and had a limited theatrical release in the United States and United Kingdom on November 15, 2024, before streaming on Disney+ on December 13, 2024.
Reception Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Accolades AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultAcademy AwardsMarch 2, 2025Best Original Song "Never Too Late" Cinema Audio Society Awards February 22, 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Documentary Jae Kim, Elmo Ponsdomenech and Teddy Salas Golden Reel AwardsFebruary 23, 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing – Documentary Michael Brake Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Documentary Rob Getty, Richard Yawn and Mike Pipgras Grammy Awards February 1, 2026 Best Song Written for Visual Media "Never Too Late" Hollywood Music in Media AwardsNovember 20, 2024 Best Music Documentary – Special Program R.J. Cutler, David Furnish, Trevor Smith Best Original Song in a Documentary "Never Too Late" iHeartRadio Music Awards March 17, 2025 Favorite On Screen Elton John: Never Too Late Satellite Awards January 26, 2025 Best Original Song "Never Too Late" Society of Composers & Lyricists February 12, 2025 Outstanding Original Song for a Dramatic or Documentary Visual Media Production "Never Too Late"
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