Elton John says his kids worry about his older age.
In the new documentary based on his life, titled Elton John: Never Too Late, the 77-year-old music icon details that his two children, sons Zachary, 13, and Elijah, 11, express fears about his death.
“They think about my mortality. They worry about my mortality,” John says in the film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Friday, Sept. 6.
“Not so much David, but me,” the “Rocket Man” crooner continues, referencing his husband and the boys’ other father, David Furnish.
According to John, his two sons “love their daddy, so they want me to be around forever, [and] I would love to be around forever.”
Still, the singer-songwriter is realistic and knows that he may not be around when the time comes for Zachary and Elijah to celebrate big life moments.
“I want to see them have children and get married. I don’t think I’m going to be around for that. Who knows?” John says. “You never know.”
“So that’s why I want to use the best time — the best of my time — while I’m around,” he adds. “Time together is so wonderful and so precious.”
Elton John: Never Too Late is directed by R. J. Cutler and Furnish, 61. It was first announced in 2022.
Coproduced with Disney+ and Rocket Pictures, the film follows John on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert tour and highlights past performance footage, intimate moments and personal footage of life with his family.
After its TIFF premiere, the project will be released on Disney+ on Dec. 13.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 5–15.
No child ever wants to think about a parent dying. It’s an almost impossible task for a child’s mind to wrap around. It’s hard enough when you’re in your 30’s let alone a pre-teenager.