David Bowie fans have reacted to the trailer for Johnny Flynn-starring biopic Stardust on social media.

The film, which sees Flynn play the musician in 1971 across his infamous US tour and the creation of his Ziggy Stardust persona, premiered yesterday (October 28) at Raindance Film Festival.

• Read more: ‘Stardust’ review: David Bowie biopic delves deep into the genesis of an icon

A number of fans took to Twitter to share their less than enthusiastic reactions upon seeing Flynn as Bowie in the official trailer for the film – which is an unauthorised biopic, with none of the musician’s songs, as the family had not granted the filmmakers any rights.

“Nope. Just no,” Sam Shins began in a tweet. “You can’t have an accent that bad, a film that looks like an American soap opera and you certainly can’t have a Bowie film without his music. Probs shouldn’t have bothered guys. ”

Nope. Just no. You can’t have an accent that bad, a film that looks like an American soap opera and you certainly can’t have a Bowie film without his music. Probs shouldn’t have bothered guys.
??‍???‍?#Bowie #fail #Stardust https://t.co/EW0E6c4hqg

— SamShins (@cheesygrin85) October 29, 2020

Others commented on the choice to have Flynn play the role, as the trailer sees the actor don Bowie’s emblematic red hair for the first time. “they literally went ‘who is the actor who looks the least like david bowie?’ and cast him for the role,” one user wrote.

Noting the issues with releasing the film without Bowie’s family’s permission, Vlada Mars said: “Bowie was pure genius. To make a movie about him without his music, without his family consent and knowing himself never ever wanted a biopic movie is disrespectful.

“Watch Bowie’s movies instead. Hunger. Cat People. Labyrinth. Watch him as another genius Tesla.”

they literally went “who is the actor who looks the least like david bowie?” and cast him for the role https://t.co/De6LRsrBNv

— uma (@umawrnkl) October 29, 2020

Bowie was pure genius. To make a movie about him without his music, without his family consent and knowing himself never ever wanted a biopic movie is disrespectful. Watch Bowie’s movies instead. Hunger. Cat People. Labyrinth. Watch him as another genius Tesla.

— Vlada Mars (@VladaMars) October 28, 2020

Others stayed more tongue-in-cheek about the new release, with film publication We Love Cinema sharing the trailer with the caption “maybe we don’t love cinema after all,” and another user added “one pandemic at a time please.”

maybe we don’t love cinema after all https://t.co/XRiYB5iwdT

— WeLoveCinema (@WeLoveCinemaLDN) October 28, 2020

one pandemic at a time please https://t.co/WFqVMbrhSY

— dayzee (@TEENAGERl0T) October 29, 2020

Commenting on the fact that none of Bowie’s music features in the film, Flynn recently said he thinks “we’re potentially going to get a lot of flak from the Bowie army.”

NME gave Stardust four stars, praising the film for “delving deep into the genesis of an icon” despite the lack of Bowie’s music.