Today, we were treated to the second official trailer for the film, Baz Luhrmann’s ELVIS, a lavish and sweeping biopic about the King of Rock ‘n Roll. ELVIS depicts the legendary performer’s life in several phases – his childhood, his early life as a performer, his relationship with his wife, Priscilla, and his later Vegas years. Presley reached a level of stardom matched only by the Beatles before his death in 1977 at the age of 42.
Starring Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks who plays his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the film also explores the complex, two-decade relationship between Elvis and Parker. Butler (who, by the way, does all his own singing in the film) spoke about the huge challenge of playing the rock and roll icon. “It’s such an incredible responsibility. I feel not only a responsibility to Elvis and his life, and I feel a responsibility to Priscilla and Lisa Maria and his entire family, and all the people around the world that love him so dearly.”
ELVIS has all the undeniable characteristics of a film by the acclaimed Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, director of the movies Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Australia, and The Great Gatsby previously. The screenplay is written by Sam Bromell, Baz Luhrmann, and Craig Pearce. The film will premiere in theaters on June 24th.
Check out another June film premiere – ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’.