Justin Timberlake 'Seriously' Considering Elton John Role

Elton John calls JT '#1 on my wish list' to portray him in upcoming biopic.

Justin Timberlake

We may not be 100 percent sure of his current relationship status, but we can confirm that Justin Timberlake is getting very serious with Elton John.

We think. In response to John's claims that Timberlake is "#1 on my wish list" to portray the singer in an upcoming biopic — he told the Los Angeles Times that JT's portrayal of him in the David LaChapelle-directed "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" video was "superb" — Timberlake is apparently "seriously" weighing the role, according to E! Online.

"Justin is taking it very seriously," a source "close to the singer" told E!'s Ted Casablanca. "He's working with his people to figure out exactly how to respond."

Casablanca also writes that "a very official response will be coming from Camp Timberlake momentarily," though, at press time, that response had yet to materialize.

In his Times interview, John said the film version of his life is "very much in the works," with a script penned by Lee Hall ("Billy Elliot") and an unnamed director "onboard." He also said that the biopic would be far different from the average Hollywood fare, which, given John's larger-than-life existence, shouldn't really be all that shocking.

"It's going to be a surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a 'Moulin Rouge!' " John said. "I just don't want it to be a normal biopic because my life hasn't been like that. And it only goes up to when I go into rehab in 1990. It starts with me going into rehab and ends when I come out."

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'Akira' Movie Shut Down To Reassess Budget

Kristen Stewart is reportedly in talks to star alongside Garrett Hedlund in the manga adaptation.

Kristen Stewart 

Though "Akira" has had significant developments in recent months — including potentially adding Kristen Stewart to the cast — Warner Bros. has shut down production on the live-action adaptation of the classic anime and manga.

For years, "Akira" had been an on-again, off-again production, with the likes of Keanu Reeves and Albert Hughes involved at one point. But the most recent attempt at the film — with "Unknown" director Jaume Collet-Serra and "Harry Potter" screenwriter Steve Kloves retouching the script — made the most progress on the property to date, getting as far as casting Garrett Hedlund as Kaneda, the lead.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the story of the shutdown, citing a source close to the production. According to the report, Warner Bros. closed the Vancouver production offices in order to reassess the budget, which the studio feared was too high. Over the next two weeks, producers will meet with Collet-Serra to work on the script with an eye on reducing costs. Insiders claim that Warner Bros. is looking to reduce the $90 million budget to the realm of $60 million or $70 million.

The proposed $90 million was already half of what it was for Hughes' production. Lowering the budget to that level was one of the accomplishments under Collet-Serra's version of the film, along with casting Hedlund in the lead and eyeing high-profile stars for the supporting roles.

Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe and Helena Bonham-Carter were three of the stars in various stages of negotiations to join the film. The "Twilight" star had reportedly been offered the female lead as Kei, while Watanabe stepped up for the Colonel after Gary Oldman turned down the role.

Sources close to the production tell THR that despite the setback, "Akira" is far from dead, saying, "It's a very resilient movie. Warner Bros. just won't let it die."