Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher on gay rights, Elton John's WhatsApp

When Dexter Fletcher set out to direct Rocketman, he was no stranger to ‘70s rock star biopics: He’d previously directed Bohemian Rhapsody, after all. But unlike that film, which was mostly grounded in reality, Rocketman takes John’s theatricality into an otherworldly fantasy-musical direction, to a good degree of success. With Rocketman out on DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital this week, The A.V. Club thought it a good time to sit down with Fletcher to talk about the movie he finished over a year ago—what he’d change, what he loves—and his enviable friendship with Sir Elton John.