Elvis has entered the building. The first trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming biopic starring Austin Butler (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was released Thursday, and the resemblance is uncanny. The trailer also confirmed that the previously untitled Warner Bros. film will be called “Elvis.”
The film explores two decades in the life of superstar Elvis Presley before his early death in 1977 at the age of 42, focusing on his complex relationship with manager Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The film follows his rise to fame from poverty and features an all-star cast including Olivia DeJonge (“The Visit”) as Elvis’ wife Priscilla, singer-songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”) as Jimmie Rodgers, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) as B.B. King, Luke Bracey (“Little Fires Everywhere”) as Jerry Schilling and Helen Thomson as Presley’s mother, Gladys.
The project, which marks Luhrmann’s first feature film since “The Great Gatsby” in 2013, was first announced in April 2014 after Luhrmann entered into negotiations to direct. In July 2019, Butler was named the film’s star after a casting process that included frontrunners Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller and Harry Styles. Production for the film began in Australia in early 2020, but was halted after Hanks and his wife, Rita, tested positive for COVID-19 — notably as the first celebrities to publicly announce their diagnosis. Shooting resumed later that year, and the release date was pushed back multiple times due to the pandemic. It is set to open in theaters on June 24, with an HBO Max release 45 days later.
“Elvis” is directed, co-produced and co-written by Luhrmann, along with co-writers Craig Pearce, Jeremy Doner and Sam Bromell. Additional producers are Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, Andrew Mittman, Schuyler Weiss and Gail Berman, with executive producer Rory Koslow.
Watch the full trailer below.
From Variety US