Baz Luhrmann’s ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ and David Michôd’s ‘Christy’ Set TIFF World Premieres

Behind the scenes of 'Elvis'
Warner Bros

When the Toronto International Film Festival celebrates its 50th edition from Thursday, September 4–Sunday, September 14, 2025, new films from Australian directors Baz Luhrmann and David Michôd will be on the lineup, unveiling their world premieres among TIFF’s Special Presentations.

Three years after Luhrmann dramatised the life and career of Elvis Presley in biopic “Elvis,” the filmmaker is still focusing on the rock ‘n’ roll icon in “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert.” Michôd’s “Christy,” starring Sydney Sweeney as boxer Christy Martin, marks the “Animal Kingdom” director’s first film to release since 2019’s “The King.”

Boasting material from previously unseen performances and unheard interview recordings, and getting the iconic singer telling his own story, Luhrmann’s new project sees the filmmaker reteam with his regular editor Jonathan Redmond, an Academy Award-nominee for “Elvis,” and also a veteran of “The Great Gatsby” and “The Get Down.” The director says that “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” is “not specifically a documentary, nor a concert film”.

“During the making of ‘Elvis,’ we went on a search for rumoured unseen footage from the iconic 1970s concert films ‘Elvis: That’s The Way It Is’ and ‘Elvis on Tour’. My initial thought was that we may be able to restore the unused footage (if we could find it) and use it in our ‘Elvis’ feature, starring Austin Butler,” explained Luhrmann at the Sony Music Vision content showcase in Los Angeles back in May.

 

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“I had researchers go into the Warners Bros. film vaults buried in underground salt mines and, to the astonishment of all, we uncovered 68 boxes of film negative, as well as unseen 8mm footage. It has taken two years to restore the footage to a quality that it has never been projected at previously, while the team had to meticulously claw back sound from the many, unconventional sources that were also unearthed,” he continued.

“One of the great finds has been unheard recordings of Elvis talking about his life and his music. It was this that gave the inspiration for ‘EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’.”

“Elvis takes the audience through the journey of his life, weaving never-before-seen footage with iconic performances that have never been presented in this way, from the 1970 Vegas show, on tour in 1972 and even precious moments of the 1957 ‘gold jacket’ performance in Hawaii. Most importantly, Elvis will sing and tell you about his life in first person, through both classic and contemporary musical prisms.”

“Christy,” which Michôd penned with “Judy & Punch” writer and director Mirrah Foulkes, tells the tale of one of America’s best-known female boxers. The 2009 World Boxing Council female super welterweight titleholder, Martin was the first female boxer voted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. She is also in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Alongside Sweeney, who produces alongside playing the lead role, the film co-stars Merritt Weaver, Ben Foster and Katy O’Brian.

Between “The King” and “Christy,” Michôd helmed Pete Davidson and Orlando Bloom-starring comedy “Wizards!,” which shot in Far North Queensland in 2022 but has not yet reached audiences.