James McAvoy has offered to play the role of Sir Elton John in a biopic about his life.

The singer-and-movie producer has previously revealed he would like Robert Downey Jr. to be one of three actors to play him in a movie about his eccentric life, and he has now added Scottish actor James as another possibility.

Asked who he would like to play him, Elton said: "Well James McAvoy could do it. He's already offered."

The pair worked together on animated family movie 'Gnomeo and Juliet', and 63-year-old Elton - who recently became a father for the first time with his partner David Furnish thanks to a surrogate mother - admits he would never have believed he would do such a project if you would have told him 20 years ago.

He told Collider.com: "In 1990, if you'd said, 'You're going to make a film about garden gnomes,' I'd have said, 'You're crazy!' That is the joyous thing about being a creative person. Things can come along that can completely surprised you, that you normally would never have thought of doing."