Elton John will enter this Christmas season with a new look. On Wednesday (December 18), the tireless 78-year-old pop star unveiled a new video for his holiday classic “Into Christmas,” which stars actress and model Cara Delevingne as the 1970 Elton of the 1990s.
In the Dan French-directed clip, the 1973 song is given new life, with Delevingne donning John’s signature gaudy sunglasses, a colorful quilted bell-bottom suit and high-heeled boots to match the song. The time-honored upbeat ditty lip-syncs.
Ostensibly a behind-the-scenes look at the original video’s troubled production, the new clip finds the two producers annoyed that the scene didn’t look “Christmas” enough, complaining about the balloons and red feather boas hanging from John’s piano. Didn’t hit the right holiday tone.
But once Delevingne was in place and started singing along to the triple-platinum single, which was originally released on November 23, 1973 (at the time it was No. 1 on the US Billboard Christmas Singles chart), their tune began to change. As the new and original cuts played side-by-side on monitors, a fan added to the filming by intruding with a sign expressing his adoration for the singer, only to be told “she’s not Elton.” Another layer of confusion.
The crew had been trying to add a Christmas feel to the scene by adding festive elements, but when reindeer and mules were unavailable, they settled on turkey.
Delevingne, a lifelong fan of John, said in a statement: “Elton has always been an idol of mine and to say his music has had a profound impact on me would be an understatement. To be invited by him to compete against him in this game was an understatement.” A dream that I didn’t even know I had until it happened. I wish I could pretend to be Ayrton every day. Fingers crossed for playing me in a biopic written, promoted or financed.
The admiration is mutual, John adds, “I met Cara at Glastonbury last summer and we discussed how we would love to collaborate if the right idea came along. She was great fun to be around; we both Very self-deprecating sense of humor. When the idea came up for her to play me in the 1973 “Step Into Christmas” video, I just thought it was a great opportunity and thank God Cara thought so too, because it turned out. great.
This isn’t the first time John has had someone else play him in one of his films. Back in 2001, he had Justin Timberlake play his 1970s self in the video for the song “This Train Don’t Stop Here Anymore.” Now you can also see John in the new Disney+ file Elton John: It’s never too latewhich features the song of the same name he recorded with friend Brandi Carlile for the film exploring his 50-year musical career.
Watch the new (and old) “Stepping into Christmas” video below.
