Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, to be released by Warner Bros. in June 2022, has reportedly been in the works since 2014 but really gained steam in mid-2019 with the casting of Butler as Presley and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, the man who discovered him. Butler’s portrayal of the iconic rock star earned him the role over some heavyweight talent that included One Direction’s Harry Styles and Ansel Elgort, who recently portrayed Tony in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of West Side Story. The newly released Elvis teaser showcases two of the reasons why Butler was the correct choice to fill the shoes of the icon.
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Yesterday, Luhrmann took to Twitter to share a brief 15-second teaser of his untitled Elvis project that presents Butler performing recognizable gyrations of the deceased rocker in a pink suit and white sequined outfits that The King made famous. A voiceover of Butler, accompanied by a haunting version of “Suspicious Minds,” also allows viewers a chance to hear the young actor’s take on the voice of Elvis as he tells the audience he knows he has to enjoy the fame while it lasts because he knows it “could all be over in a flash.” This hints that the film will most likely touch on the tragic end of Presley’s life and career in 1977. Along with the teaser, Luhrmann promised a trailer will be released this Thursday that he believes will “TCB,” or take care of business, which was the name of Presley’s band and a personal motto of the late singer.
Along with Butler and Hanks, the biopic will also include The Dark Knight star Maggie Gyllenhaal as Presley’s mother and Stranger Things’ Dacre Montgomery as producer and director Steve Binder. A look at Luhrmann’s Twitter shows a lot of recent posts focusing on the late Presley and hints that this film may be a passion project for the writer and director. Fans of the late Presley should keep an eye on the filmmaker’s Twitter Thursday to catch more glimpses of the latest on-screen adaptation of the life of The King.
Two of Luhrmann’s popular films, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rogue, show the director is quite capable of handling drama, tragedy, and musical performances. The glimpses Luhrmann has shown so far of Butler’s performance, and the subtle hints of the tragic story the film will explore, are enough reasons to come back Thursday to see what else the upcoming project has to offer.
Elvis is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 24, 2022.
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Source: Baz Luhrmann
