Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann shares teaser of untitled Elvis Presley biopic starring Austin Butler
Washington [US], November 16 (ANI): The first look of actor Austin Butler as the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, is out with the recently released teaser of the untitled biopic on the legendary musician.
Washington [US], November 16 (ANI): The first look of actor Austin Butler as the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, is out with the recently released teaser of the untitled biopic on the legendary musician.
The film’s director Baz Luhrmann shared the teaser on his Twitter handle, which included a shot of what appeared to be Butler, from behind as a young Elvis and other shots of the singer walking backstage in his recognizable performance wear.
The video concluded with the letters TCB and the date June 24, 2022. “Elvis Monday,” Luhrmann, who has been regularly sharing Elvis content on Mondays over the past several weeks, wrote in the caption, adding, “Made a little something to let you good people know we are taking care of business on June 24, 2022.” He added the hashtags “Elvis” and “TCB.”
According to People magazine, the movie’s release date has been pushed multiple times already because of the COVID-19 pandemic-related delays including star Tom Hanks, who plays Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker, contracting the virus last year.
Along with Butler and Hanks, the movie stars Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley. It will “delve into their complex dynamic spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and the loss of innocence in America,” according to Warner Bros.
Regarding casting Butler as The King, Luhrmann previously told The Hollywood Reporter that he knew he “couldn’t make this film if the casting wasn’t absolutely right, and we searched thoroughly for an actor with the ability to evoke the singular natural movement and vocal qualities of this peerless star, but also the inner vulnerability of the artist.”
“Throughout the casting process, it was an honour for me to encounter such a vast array of talent,” Luhrmann added at the time back in 2019.
He continued, “I had heard about Austin Butler from his standout role opposite Denzel Washington in The Iceman Cometh on Broadway, and through a journey of extensive screen testing and music and performance workshops, I knew unequivocally that I had found someone who could embody the spirit of one of the world’s most iconic musical figures.”
Butler has starred on MTV’s ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ and landed the Elvis role in July 2019. Since then the actor has appeared in ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ and played Manson Family member Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’.
As per Deadline, he’s filming a lead role in the Apple TV Plus miniseries ‘Masters of the Air’, which is executive produced by Butler’s co-star Hanks. (ANI)