‘Never Too Late’ doc feels the love for Elton John

You won’t find a more personal, more revealing or simply amazing saga of success and introspection than the new Disney+ documentary “Elton John: Never Too Late,” streaming Dec. 13.

Co-directed by his husband David Furnish and veteran filmmaker RJ Cutler, “Elton” focuses on the extraordinary first five years of the flamboyant singer-composer’s career in the 1970s when he became an overnight star, ruling the charts while personally lonely and miserable.

“I wanted this documentary to showcase Elton’s extraordinary journey through both his struggles and triumphs,” Furnish, 62, said in an emailed interview.

“His early career was marked by exceptional artistic productivity and significant personal challenges. Our goal was to illuminate Elton’s resilience and the transformative moments that shaped his life and legacy.”

What’s extraordinary is the revelatory archival material reveling in his wildly physical performances, outrageous outfits and amazing spectacles. There’s an extraordinary demonstration of his creative process, how once he’d get Bernie Taupin’s lyrics for “Tiny Dancer” he would supply the melody — in a matter of minutes! An almost mystical process that brings to mind Mozart or Beethoven.

Obviously a pack rat, Elton has two massive archives housed in London. Much material’s never been seen.

“That discovery was a treasure trove of untapped history,” Furnish said. “Delving into them was like uncovering a time capsule of Elton’s extraordinary life and career.”

They combed through “thousands of hours of footage, photographs, personal memorabilia to find moments that were not just iconic but deeply personal and previously unseen — concert footage, behind-the-scenes moments, candid interviews. Even handwritten notes, diaries. At the end, we uncovered more than we ever imagined.”

That included what he considers most significant: “The 1976 tapes of Elton’s interview with Cliff Jahr for Rolling Stone. They were actually stored in an archive at Columbia University.

“Elton’s decision to come out during that conversation was bold and brave, a pivotal moment in Elton’s journey toward authenticity, despite the risks involved and the impact that it had for the LGBTQ+ community.”

Elton’s recently revealed eye impairment issues make this doc seem even more relevant.

“Even though I’ve been with Elton for decades and have shared so much, creating this offered a fresh perspective on his life and legacy.

“Seeing the sheer volume of material — unseen photos, candid moments, rare footage — allowed me to connect with parts of his history that I’d only heard about but never fully experienced.

“What struck me most was how much he achieved in such a short span of time. I gained a deeper appreciation for his resilience, creativity, and courage.

“A reminder of how profoundly he’s influenced not just music but culture and how much he’s risked to be true to himself.”

“Elton John: Never Too Late” streams Dec. 13 on Disney+