Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic

Award winning movie director Baz Luhrmann (The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge) will direct a biopic about Elvis Presley for Warner Brothers pictures - due to start filming next year in Australia.

The movie narrative will cover Presley's early years up until the late 1950's/early 60's.

Austin Butler has been cast for the role of Presley. Butler is an accomplished movie, TV & theatre actor who will appear in Quentin Tarantino's new release "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood".
Tom Hanks has also been cast for the role of Colonel Tom Parker.

Luhrmann & Warner Brothers secured licensing of Presley's catalogue from Sony/BMG as part of the production. They also have the co-operation of EPE (Graceland/the Presley estate).

Baz Luhrmann Austin Butler Young Elvis Presley Tom Hanks Warner Bros Film – Deadline

 

Pass

 

Hmm...it’s been done quite a few times.

Lots of other artists out there...

 

I like the idea of doing a new Elvis film to sort of reveal him to younger people, because he is definitely in danger of being consigned to the past. However, I think Baz Luhrmann is an absolutely dreadful 'fit' as a director. I like some of Baz's films, but his colorful, frenetic, glitzy style seems a perplexing match for Elvis--especially early Elvis.

 

True. But all the biopics about him so far have been subpar TV productions with minimal budgets & questionable acting.
This production has a rumoured budget of around $150 million so will be on the scale of the recent Elton John & Queen movies.

 

... which doesn’t bode well...

 

Hanks is overused and overexposed and overdone. Tom, retire already!

 

I love Baz. I'm in all the way. Plus they officially licensed the catalogue so they can have fun with it.

 

True enough. But there was an early years Elvis TV series awhile ago that was quite terrific. They had the time to plumb some depths. A two hour movie will most likely not do the story justice.

Given that skimpy length, a lot of us fans are going to complain about this or that being left out or glanced over. Lose-lose proposition, even for the great Baz.

 

Luhrman = no

 

Superficial is the word that comes to mind. It looks like Baz is going deep rather than wide & doing the research, according to the link here.
I loved his inventive take on Romeo and Juliet. I remember the little girls sobbing behind me in the cinema. One for the ages.

 

I don 't wish to veer too far off topic but good musical bio-pics are few and far between.
I remember when 'The Buddy Holly Story' came out. I liked it well enough for what it was but how close to the truth was it? Not close at all.
If you're going to tell the story then tell it warts and all as it was.

 

Really? His pink shirts, hairdo, gaudy jewelry (even in the 50’s) don’t strike you as glitzy?

 

Have to agree!!

The most important thing for this movie to do is use actual Elvis recordings and even video where possible. Yes, I do think a modern audience will make the jump from the actor playing Elvis to the real Elvis - and the electric charisma and talent of Elvis Presley are the reason this movie is being made so the more screen time is used by the real thing the better and more exciting the movie will be. I don't care who the actor is - he can't perform music like Elvis.

 

That’s the problem, nobody has the unique charisma to portray Elvis. I wish that they made a multi-part Anthology type Elvis doc after the Beatles did theirs. I guess the ship has sailed.
But like you said, if this movie makes a younger generation interested, I am all for it. I’ve literally turned all of my friends into Elvis fans. People just have to LISTEN.

 

To be honest, the CMT series "Sun Records" from 2017 was the best bio pic of Elvis'
beginnings (plus Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee) I've ever seen. The actor that played Elvis
was perfect plus he did his own singing remarkably well.
There's no official clip of this scene, which is my favorite of the series. Elvis, Sam Phillips,
Marion Keisker and Scotty and Bill in the studio hitting on gold.
Someone did film it off their TV, which is the best we've got right now of the entire scene....

 

Sounds like fun to me.

 

I suppose with the success of the Queen and Elton biopics, Elvis is the next logical choice. I know his story has been done before, but with his catalogue and incredible life you can see the appeal of a new film.

Less thrilled that it’s Baz Luhrmann at the wheel... I’ve never seen a movie of his that hasn’t given me a raging headache.



Austin Butler will have all on capturing the charisma of Elvis, but at least he’ll probably get the hair right.

 

Austin Butler as Elvis? Pass.

 

Mr Butler might be better cast in a Lyle Lovett biopic.

 

Exactly. Butler doesn't have Elvis' great looks or his charisma.

 

I love early Elvis, and enjoy seeing musical biographies on the big screen. I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know the actor cast as Elvis, so I have no preconceptions about him. Tom Hanks generally does a good job with whatever role he’s cast in. I would never say he’s one of my favorite actors, but offhand I can’t think of any film where I thought he was less than fine, and can think of a few where I thought he was terrific.

 

A truly great depiction of Elvis would have to be filled with desperation, enormous highs, natural genius and hope against hope. You'd have to plumb the psychological shortcomings and insecurities of the King and show the grasping, venomous horror of Parker, even as he drove the profit train. It would be a perfect two-film offering, and the films could be masterpieces. This should not be made as a Hollywood production. Most likely it will never be made in such a way as to do justice not only to the Legend but to the human cost of being a fragile "super-star" in the hands of a Svengali, let alone what it all meant in the consumer landscape.

 

Recent updates on this film:

Maggie Gyllenhaal to Play Elvis Presley’s Mom in Baz Luhrmann’s Musical Drama (EXCLUSIVE)

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Biopic Casts ‘The Society’s’ Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley

Filming has commenced at Village Roadshow Studios in Queensland, Australia
Release date: October 1, 2021

Untitled Elvis Presley Project (2021) - IMDb

 

British singer-songwriter Yola has been cast in the film as Sister Rosetta Tharpe:


British actor Rufus Sewell (recently in the Judy Garland biopic) has been cast as Elvis' father Vernon Presley:
Rufus Sewell to Play Elvis Presley’s Father in Baz Luhrmann’s Musical Drama (EXCLUSIVE)

Elvis (2021 film) - Wikipedia