The first trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming biopic starring Austin Butler as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, was released on Thursday, and the resemblance is uncanny.
The almost 3-minute-long trailer also confirmed that the previously untitled Warner Bros. film will be called ‘Elvis’. It was narrated by Tom Hanks, who portrays talent manager Colonel Tom Parker. ‘There are some who make me out to be the villain of this here story,’ the Oscar-winning actor says ominously as he spots his future client performing to a packed crowd.
The trailer further explores Elvis’ life and music through the prism of his complicated relationship with Parker over two decades, as well as his relationship with Priscilla. Presley’s rise to fame is depicted with America’s evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence serving as the backdrop.
According to Variety, ‘Elvis’ features an all-star cast including Olivia DeJonge as Elvis’ wife Priscilla, singer-songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Jimmie Rodgers, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as B.B. King, Luke Bracey as Jerry Schilling and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Presley’s mother, Gladys Presley.
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.
It has been 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, as per Variety. (ANI)