Copyright: Warner Bros 2012

A major step towards seeing production begin on the Sir Elton John biopic Rocketman occurred on Wednesday night when FilmDistrict sealed a massive $10 million deal to acquire the rights to the film and they appear to have a leading man ready to take on the role of Elton John.

According to Deadline, Dark Knight Rises and Bronson star Tom Hardy is “circling” the role of Sir Elton John.

The script is by Billy Elliot‘s Lee Hall, and Tom Hardy is circling to play the lead role. This film was the talk of Cannes, where it was shopped by UTA, which structured the financing.

Hardy has displayed his acting chops on more than one occasion with highlights being his turn as British convict Charles Bronson as well as breaking through with American audiences as Bane in 2012’s Dark Knight Rises. Should he take on the role of Sir Elton John when Rocketman officially gets off the ground and into production, we could be in for an Oscar-worthy performance given the kind of role he’d be taking on combined with his skill and what he’s otherwise known for.

Hardy’s immersion into the role of Charles Bronson was a powerhouse performances and one of the best modern day acting jobs you’ll see on screen. If he can channel that talent into the role of Elton John, he may finally rake in the awards he should already be talking in.

Rocketman seems to be lifting off though, and while Hardy is a great name to have considered, there is a lot more than needs to go into it and adding a solid director to the script already written by Lee Hall should only take this film to the next level.